Evening star., 1928-12-21
The Cramfnn Park Bill.

is shared by all VINO nave Itle pain
development of the National Capital
and its environs at heart. For Mr..
Cramton has drawn a measure covering
important schemes for extension of the
Capitals parking system into adjacent
Maryland; for the construction OF
riverside parkway on both sides OF the
Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort
Washington to a point above Great
Falls and for the acquisition OF PARK
lands here in the District which soon
will become unavailable unless they are
bought within the next few years. Mr..
Crsnlton has taken various projects en-
tertained by Capital planners and
Jumped them into one measure. Speak
ing of its relative Importance, he says:
"BouIevards, monuments and marble
buildings can be constructed at any
time. but the natural beauties OF Wash
ington and its environs, If not pre-
served. can never be restored. The past
five years have seen the passing OF
some of the Capitals most delightful
beauty spots and they are gone forever.
The development and expansion OF the
Capital In population is SO rapid and
its suburbs are spreading so greatly
that a few years more will make sad
havoc with remaining scenic areas un-
less prompt action is taken for their
ACQUISITION and preservation"
Two sections of Mr.. Cramton's plan
for financing the park extension and
development program call for Treasury
advances, to be repaid in flve years
without interest The Federal Govern
ment would share with Maryland and
Virginia, on a flfty-fifty basis, the cost
of land and construction of the George
Washington Memorial Parkway on both
sides of the Potomac from Fort Wash
ington and Mount Vernon to a point
above Great Falls, except for those
portions lying within Alexandria and
the District. The extension of the ROCK
Greek and Anacostia parkways into
MARYLAND would be paid for on sixty
six and two-thirds-thirty-three and
third basis by the Federal Gov
eminent and Maryland, Maryland con-
tributing two-thirds.
The land for the Districts park park
way and playground system would be
financed by a Treasury advance OF
sixteen million dollars, repaid without
interest at the rate Of one million dol
lars annually out of District of Colum-
bia funds.
While the purpose of Mr.. Cramton's
bill is excellent and indicative of the
Congressmans interest in the develop
,1ent of his National Capital, the ap-
parent discrimination against the tax
paying but voteless citizens of the Dis
trict in financing this great national
project is hard to understand. In one
case the Federal Government would
agree to a fifty-fifty ratio with Mary
land and Virginia in buying and de-
Veloping park land and parkwayS In
another case the Federal Government
agrees to pay-one- third. But in the
case of the District the burden Is shift
ed to the shoulders of its residents, with
no semblance of any guarantee as to
Uncle Sans proportional contribution.
Under the present lump-sum expedient
the Federal Government in the next
sixteen years conceivably might con-
tribute approximately twenty-five per
cent to national park development In
the District, provided the Districts bud
gets for the next sixteen years do not
exceed forty million dollars. But If
history repeats itself, the budget will
increase annually. while the Federal
Governments proportional contribution
will dwindle with each increase.
Mr. Cramton's proposal, as it relates
to the District, would make sixteen mil
lion dollars available in 1881. Its ef-
feet on the annual appropriation bills
for the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. however, would
be merely to increase this annual ap-
preparation by about four hundred
thousand dollars. But the original
legislation creating the Park and Plan
ming Commission indicated the ma.
tional aspect of such legislation by
limiting the annual appropriation to q
sum not exceeding one cent year pei
inhabitant Of the United States, anC
providing that the money should be ap
propriated in accordance with the eX
isting ratio between the United States
and the District, which, under Substan
tive law, was then and is now sixty
forty Mr. Cramton's amending bill
however. definitely places the ap
preparation for this national or semi
national project in the Districts an
nual supply bill, thus classifying it a
a local undertaking.
Since new legislation is proposed t
finance park commission projects, tn
opportunity should be taken to remov
this national or semi-national under
taking from the District bill, with il
nine millions lump sum payment, and
make the Districts degree of partic
patton as definite as in the case {
MARYLAND and Virginia. Assuming til
fair division arrived at as being sixty
forty. the District would repay to til
Treasury sixty per cent of the sixteer
million dollar advance. This advanc
then would be placed on the fair bas
which marked the one secured betwee
4 1900 and 1910, except for the fact ths