Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
BY WILL p. KENNEDY


How big is the Greater Washing
| ton" boom?
| The xty-ninth Congress. which has
| just closed, will always be held in
grateful memory by the residents of
/ the District of Columbia and the coun-
| try at large because 1t has encouraged
and started with stable appropria-
! tons, permanent. Capital improve
ments which In the end will total
upward Of l77.000,000, to make the
capital city truly representative Of
the wealth. power, dign ty and artistic
sense of the Nation.
In addition may he added another
500. 100000 that Senator Smoot pre-
diets ultimately will be appropriate ted
plus the 100000 public building
program now underway
Nor is there justification for any
member of Congress criticizing this
program on the ground that this Is
being done for the people here at the
EXPENSE Of the rest of the country. A
careful check shows that the tax
payers of the City of Washington will
pay about one-third of the total.
Program Is Pretentious.
Already appropriations aggregating
$29 100000 have been passed approx
mately half of II from District Of Col
umbia revenues. More than SAC. 600 e
600 more would have been passed ex-
cept for the Senate f1libuster, and
leaders in Congress have given posi-
tive assurance that they will continue
to work for other important items on
this great program.
Specific items making UP the total
of $l17 900 ,000--protected or appro-
priated for-follow: Public buildings
authorized for Washington, under a
five-year program, $4,000 900; pur-
chase of triangle between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and the Mall as site for
new Federal buildings. $25 900 900;
school building program for Washing
ton. 100000 200, about half of which
has been appropriated; Arlington Memo
rial Bridge, $14,750 900; new House
Office Building, s7,300,0o0 new group
of municipal buildings, $25 900 900;
| memorial boulevard to Mount Vernon.
| $40 900, 900; for acquiring park. play
ground and school sites, $40 900 900.
in addition to 100000 to complete
connection of Rock Creek and Poto-
| mac Parks, $500, 900 appropriated last
year and 100000 appropriated
this year. Greater Botanic Garden.
! : ,696, 1893; Walter Feed Hospital
buildings. $950000; nurses home
at Columbia Hospital $350.000:
enlargement of the Capitol grounds,
| 81 .532 900: establishment of National
Aboretum $4,000 completion of
| Tomb of Unknown Soldier, $50, 900;
| restoration of Lee Mansion, $40, 900:
nurses home at Freedmen's Hospital,
| $4,000; power plant at Freedmen s
Hospital. $50 900: school building and
| site to replace old Bell School on site
! of new Botanic Garden, 1925. 900:
! branch libraries in all parts of Wash
| ington, $1,000. 900; hospital and bar
| racks at Camp Meade to the Third
Corps training center, 81 ,460 900; bar
! racks at Fort Humphreys, Va. $780,
| 900: barracks at Boiling Field, $240,.
| 900; structural improvements on
Capitol plant. $2s5.000; buildings a
| Marine Base. Quantico 81 $50 900;
| Farmers Market, $500 900, charging
brick plant at Occoquan, $4,000. and
| others.
Model Municipal Group.
| The new proposal for a model mu
nicipal group on either side of John
Marshall place. which is to be widened
with central parking. was advocated
by Engineer Commissioner Bell be
cause the District Government needs
more room and cannot find it in the
Mall triangle with the Federal build
| ings. Already two additional District