Evening star., 1927-12-09
The Potomac Gorge Park.


ton to his other duties, is the execu-
tive officer of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, sug-
gests in his annual report to Presi-
dent Coolidge the most expeditions
as we'll as the most practical method
for carrying out the long-delayed
project of developing the Potomac
gorge as the chief extension of the
Capitals park system. He points out
that this might be made the Federal
Governments contribution to the So
American Capital and that Maryland
and Virginia be left to carry out their
own tasks in park and planning work
without expectation of further gov
ernmental participation. If adopted.
this method would be the happy solu-
ton of a problem which is beginning
to assume threatening proportions.
When the park and planning com
mission was created the thought III
the minds of proponents of this leg
islation was expressed in the wording
of the act. This thought was that
park and planning work in and around
the Capital should be appropriated for
on the basis of one cent year for
every inhabitant of the United States,
seeming thus to assure recognition of
the plan as a distinctly Federal prof.
ect and providing an annual maxi
mum appropriation of, say, S1,S00,000
from the Federal Treasury. Instead
of this sum, however, the commission
has received an annual appropriation
of about 100000, and the money has
been made available in the District of
Columbia appropriation bills, a large
proportion of it representing District
revenues. The commission, therefore,
has found it's hands tied, not only in
the business of securing on an
economic basis available park sites in
the District, but in spending the
entitled so to spend this money, the
commission has been morally pre-
vented from doing so. In the mean
time, the Maryland State Legislature
has co-operated iu the regional devel-
opment project by it's own appropria-
ton and by authorizing revenue-rais-
ing taxes in the counties of Montgom-
cry and Prince Georges. Virginia,
however, has made no funds avail
able. The situation today is that the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission cannot acquire land
economically in the District and can
not go outside OF the District; the
Maryland commission is going ahead
with it's work in Maryland, and in
Arlington County little or nothing is
being accomplished. Some Of the de-
lay in Virginia has been attributed to
an expectation that If the State waits
long enough, Uncle Sam will do 1t.
Park development Of the Potomac
gorge from the District line to Great
Falls is even now threatened by a
power project. There has been too
much delay already in buying up land
on both sides of the river. CONNER
cial interests cannot be expected to
hold off indefinitely. Therefore, as
Col. Grant suggests, let the Federal
Government Immediately begin devel-
opment Of the upper Potomac for
park purposes with the understand
ing that Maryland and Virginia will
proceed with their part of the work
independently. The carrying out OF
this plan would be a fitting and ap-
propriate expression Of the Federal
Governments interest. The park up
the Potomac would in manner unite
Maryland and Virginia. Each could
plan, with the cooperation and assist
ance of the nationally known experts
on the park and planning commits
sion, it's own system Of parks and
highways built and centering upon
the park of the upper Potomac.
In his report Col. Grant also en-
phasizes the uneconomic manner in
which the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is proceeding
with it's acquisition of park lands in
the District. Unable to purchase land
now, while 1t is cheap. because Of
limited funds, the commission faces
the prospect of being unable to pur-
chase the same land few years
hence because the price will be pro-
hibitive. A bond issue is again put for
ward as a solution of this difficulty,
with the thought that it would be more
economical to secure all the money
| now and at one time that, at the
present rate of appropriation, will be-
come available in a number Of years.
The fundamental principle is sound
But the District has already recorded
it's unqualified opposition to any bond
issue or Treasury advance that does
not take into consideration, at the
same time, a fair and fixed ratio be-
| tween the District and the Federal
| Government in assuming the burden.
Such fair and fixed ratio has already
been discarded in funds SO far made
available for the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
| Instead Of only twelve, the jury in
cludes twenty-four men, counting the
private detectives.