Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-18
SIMMONS DEFENDS
NJ ST. SPAN WORK
Takes Direct Issue With Fine
Arts Commission
Chairman.

Chairman Simmons Of the Hous'
subcommittee on District appropriation!
took direct issue in the House yester'
day with Charles Moore, chairman o.
the Commission of Fine Arts, in de-
tense of District officials regarding thu
type of bridge being erected at M street
In hearings on the independent office:
appropriation bill, Mr. Moore had called
that bridge IAN ugly service bridge o.
a type untitled for park purposes" anc
that in Rock Creek Park they are put
ting in ugly bridges which are out Of
all keeping with other park bridges"
Mr.. Simmons told the House that
this ''iS an unfair and unwarranteo
criticism of the District Commissioners
and the Highway Department of the
District" He said that the facts in the
case are that that bridge is being con-
structed in strict accordance with ar
act of Congress. If Mr.. Moore had read
case are that that bridge is being con-
tinued Mr.. Simmons. THE Highway
Department produced plans for Steel+
girder bridge; a bill was introduced in
Congress providing for the erection OF
Steel-girder bridge, it was reported
to the House of Representatives by the
legislative committee of the District of
Columbia and considered and passed
ia this body; the bill was sent to the
Senate, there studied and there re-
ported and there passed, providing for
q steel-girder bridge.
''At later time the District Com
miSsioners came before the appropria-
tons committees of the House and
Senate and asked for money to build
that bridge. The authorization limited
"a 10 IN hot
pose. The House committee on appro-
priations carried the appropriation Of
$250,000 and the Senate concurred in
that appropriation. So there were four
distinct times in the proceedings at
tending the passage of the bill and the
appropriation of the money by Con-
gress-twice in the House and twice in
the Senate-where Mr.. Moore had an
opportunity to protest the building of
the type Of bridge that is now being
built at that point. He either did not
proteSt-and so far as I can discover.
the records do not show that he did
or else Congress ignored his advice.
In any event, the record is clear
that the Commissioners are building
exactly the type of bridge at M street
that Congress ordered to be built.
The type Of bridge that Mr.. Moore
wants built Is an arch-type bridge. The
Commissioners had no authority to build
IL. The committee on appropriations
hao no authority to appropriate for such
bridge. When Mr.. Moore went over
the heads of the Commissioners and
asked the municipal architect to prepare
plans for an arch bridge instead Of
Steel-girder bridge he was asking for
plans to be drawn which could not be
installed there under the act of Con-
gTess. Had he read the law he would
have known that that was true. When
he comes before the committee on ap-
preparations and attempts to make 1t
appear that the Commissioners and the
Highway Department Of the District
are not carrying out the will of Con-
gress and that he is the only man who
wants to carry out the will of Con-
gress, think the facts should be
known.
His attitude is not only unjust and
unfair, but it IS based upon an easily
aScertainable false premise. Mr.. Moore
has no right to claim that there is lack
of cooperation on the part Of the Com
miSsioners in this matter. To my per-
sonal knowledge they gave him every
consideration and co-operated Just so
far as the law permitted. What he
complains about is that he has been
unable 10 dictate to the Commissioners
and unable to compel them to proceed
at his request in violation of clear
provision of law. The position taken
by the Commissioners Is correct. If
there is any blame attaching to any one,
1t attaches to Mr.. Moore for neglecting
TO make his views known prior to and
not after Congress had acted"
Mr.. Simmons put into the record
IA statement prenared at hts request nv
the Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict, pointing out that the bridge which
Mr.. Moore asked for could not have
been built under the act of Congress;
khat it would have cost 100000 more
TO build that type of bridge than the
type now being built there; that Con-
Eress had not authorized that expense,
Rnd that 1t would have created conSid-
frable disturbance in the water system
of the District If Mr.. Moores wishes
had been carried out.