Evening star., 1932-02-18
PORT AUTHORITY
BILL IS READY FOR
PLANNING BOARD
Measure to Boost City's
Maritime Importance to Be
Presented Tomorrow.
PROJECT SAID TO HAVE
COMMISSION APPROVAL
Jurisdiction at Alexandria as Well
as Over Channel Wharves
Provided.


and boost the National Capitals mari
time importance will be submitted to
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission tomorrow by its sec
retary, Thomas S. Settle.
The proposed measure. on which the
commission already looks favorably,
contemplates five members, comprising
the Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict, the district engineer for the War
Department for the Washington area.
the director Of public buildings and
public parks and two members from
Virginia, one from Northern Virginia
Park and Planning Commission area
and the other to be appointed by the
Governor.
The port authority would have con-
troll and regulation of the navigation
and commerce in this locality, as well as
jurisdiction over the piers. The au-
thority would be empowered to advertise
Washington as pert and would unity
all the various activities dealing with
maritime matters in the metropolitan
zone.
Alexandria Affected.
The port authority would have under
its charge, if the proposed measure IS
enacted into law, jurisdiction not only
over the Wharves in the Washington
Channel, the Georgetown Channel and
that of the Anacostia River, but would
likewise supervise those at Alexandria,
Va.
Mr.. Settle explained today that if the
draft of the measure is Endorsed by his
commission, numerous conferences with
interested parties would be held.
At present there are about six wharves
in all the ports that would be embraced
under the projected measure. Business
totaling 2,715,000 tons of freight is done
annually in the area covered by the
bill, representing total value of $47,-
$4,000. Cargoes coming to Washing
ton by water include textiles. wood and
paper, bricks. cement. sand, gravel,
stone, automobiles and fruits and vege-
tables.
The port administration here Is
now carried on by the District Commis-
sioners, who act through Wharf Com
mittee consisting of the chief clerk of
the Engineer Department, the engineer
Of bridges and the harbor master. The
superintendent of weights, measures
and markets has jurisdiction over the
municipal fish wharves.
Present Officials.
The present port officials are the col
lector of the port and the harbor mas
ter, who has some of the powers OF
United States marshal and may act
through the power of the harbor police
boat The harbor master Is the lieuten-
ant of police for the harbor precinct
He can board vessels within the limits
hi iY,r
anchorage and berthing Of vessels and
exercise general police authority over
the waters within the District.
The Port of Washington has total
water frontage of about 80 miles. l212
miles of this being privately owned.
The last fiscal years report OF the
Engineer Commissioner pointed out
that there is no regular port authority
or commission at Washington such as
is usual at other large ports"
Mr.. Settle asserted that the proposed
port authority for the District wouo
operate similarly to that in the harbor
of New York and at Hampton Roads,
Va. The basis for the bill Is report
on the development of Washington as q
maritime center, submitted recently to
the commission by its director OF
planning, Charles w. Eliot, I'd.
Early Days Recalled.
Mr.. Settle recalled that the ports
of Georgetown and Alexandra were
fiourishing and considered major ports
of the Nation about the time the Dis
trict of Columbia was laid out. The
District Commissioners for long time
had Jurisdiction only of the so-called
L'Enfant city.
Pending now before Congress is a re-
port on improvement of the deteriorated
Wharves here submitted some years ago
by the District Engineer for the War
Department for this area. The report
suggested a s4,OOO,00O water front i'm
provement program, arranged to med
ernie the nautical facilities here.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is considering
plans for the development of yacht
basin at Washington Channel, adjoin-
ing East Potomac Park The United
States Engineer Office is preparing to
move its plant from the Washington
Channel side of Potomac Park and the
commission is arranging program for
yacht berthage improvement.