Evening star., 1929-12-18
COL, GRANT DENIES
|. FRICTION WITH D. c.
OVER SCHOOL SITE
Labels Officials Criticisms
as Nothing More Than
"Human Nature.
SAYS LETTER ON RECORD
GIVES COMPLETE VIEW
Issue of Delay on Junior High
Raised During Debate
in House.

Denials of friction between District
government officers and the Park anc
Planning Commission were Forthcoming
today from the municipal architects
ofice and from Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant
Sd, executive officer of the park body.
Representative Simmons of Nebraska
read a letter from Col. Grant on the
floor of the House yesterday afternoon
in which the officer had complained
that many of the municipal employees
under the District Commissioners fee
considerable hostility toward the Nation
Il Capital Park and Planning Commission
and are doubtless ready at any time to
attribute shortcomings to it" The let
ter was inspired by an earlier statement
of Mr.. Simmons to the effect that con-
struction on the Alice Deal Junior High
School in the Reno section was delay
ed because the Park and Planning
nshed grades for the Fort drive in the
vicinity of the school site.
Today Col. Gre Mt asserted:
No Accusation to Make.
"I have no accusation to make There
is nothing to add to my letter, which
Representative Simmons has placed in
the Congressional Record"
There is no difference of opinion be-
tween the District officials and himself,
he explained, and the tendency of Dis
blame for delay to the commission. of
which he Is the executive officer and
vice chairman, Is. after all, but human
nature he said
Municipal Architect Albert L. Harris,
when questioned about Col. Grants let
ter today, referred the reporter to As
sistant Engineer Commissioner Layton
z. Atkins. The only comment he
would make related to the alleged hos
tility between him and Col. Grant was:
Relations "Most Cordial"
"of course, there is no hostility be-
tween U.S." he said. Relations between
Col. Grant and myself are now and
have always been most cordial"
The papers in connection with the
case are said to be in the possession
of Maj. Atkins, who has supervisory
control of the municipal architects Of
f1ce. Maj Atkins was tied up at the
Shelby-Kelly hearing.
Roland M. Brennan, chief clerk of
the Engineer Department, said that all
of the site for the proposed junior high
school has not yet been acquired. Part
of it has been purchased End part of
1t is now undergoing condemnation pro-
ceedings he said.
In connection with his discussion In
the House of delays In the school build
ing program, Mr.. Simmons quoted a
notation from a statistical table fur
nished him by Municipal Architect
Harris, as of November 4, 1929, as fol-
lows:
"Note-The proposed Fort drive has
not been definitely determined by the
Park and Planning Commission, and
the street grades adjacent to the build
ing have not been definitely established.
Work is waiting furthter information"
December Is Letter Is Quoted.
He also quoted an excerpt from a let
ter by Municipal Architect Harris,
dated December l3, 1929, as follows:
THE Park and Planning Commission
is making comprehensive study of the
Fort drive, which will determine the
grades of the various streets. This
study has not been approved by the Dis
trict Commissioners UP to the present
time, but will receive consideration
when completed
There, then, is the statement in
writing, twice given by the municipal
architect" commented Mr.. Simmons.
that the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission had not complet-
ed its study of streets ana roads In that
area and that therefore he could not
proceed" He then quoted from the
letter he had just received from Col.
Grant, which he placed in the record,
as follows:
your speech on the five-year school pro-
fofa la
lay in making the plans for the Deal
Junior High School at Fort Reno was
due to the municipal architects having
to wait for location and grade on the
Fort drive. 1 know that you intend
to be fair to everybody and that you do
not wish to do injustice to any one. I
can, therefore, only assume that you
have been miSinformed about this mat
ter and that you will not take it amiss
If I correct the information given to
you by others.
Says Data Supplied in 1928.
This commission gave to the mu-
nicipal architects of1ce, through the
Engineer Commissioner, detailed plan,
with the location and 1-foot contours
for the Fort drive in the vicinity of
Fort Reno, in February, 1928. 1t seems
hardly probable that the municipal
architect had to wait for this at all, as
it was given to him before any request
or inquiry was made for it.
II would not bother you with SO
small a matter did 1 not realize that
many of the municipal employees under
the District Commissioners feel con-
siderable hostility toward the National
Capital Park and Planning CommtS-
sion, and are doubtless ready at any
time to attribute shortcomings to 1t.
While the commission makes no recon-
mendations without careful study, and
it may at times have to hold up a
problem until it has been thoroughly
studied, so far its recommendations
usually have been far in advance OF the
municipal oficials' requirements. In
fact, some of the hostility felt toward
the commission. as well as toward the
Office of public buildings and parks. may
doubtless be traced to the fact that we
have pushed them in regard to many
matters that have reached them. IniS
is said not to criticize them, but to DO
Justice to the work of commission ano
its staff for which am responsible"