Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-08
ADVANCE PLANNING
IS GIVEN APPROVAL
Public Works Proposal of Col.
Sawyer Commended by Dis
trict Commissioners.

Long range planning of public works
IN the Capital is entirely feasible ana
mas been so demonstrated. Col. D. H.
SAWYER, director of the Federal Employ
ment Sterilization Board, says in q
publication entitled, Advance Planning
Of Public Works in the District of Co
lumbia," Just printed by the Govern
1nsnt Printing once.
In a foreward, the thee District
Commissioners say: I'VE are glad to
support the program of advance plan
ming of public works and advocate its
adoption by other cities"
Col Sawyer appeared recently before
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and presented digest
of the publication just released. and
now 0he Co-ordinating Committee,
comprising interested Federal and Dis
trict Government agencies, Is at work,
in an attempt to ascertain ways and
means to make this more profitable
here.
Benefits Are Found.
DR.. L. H. Reichelderfer, Maj. Gen.
H. B. Crosby and Mai. j. c. Gotwals,
the three Commissioners, explain: For
more than a decade, the District has
studied and to some extent forecast
aus physical SShSldl NCdlS
ahead. The benefits accruiEg from this
new conception of advance planning
has more than justified its introduction.
With this impetus it has MT been
difficult for the bureaus OF tilc T''nici-
pal government of Washing ,0a tc con-
form to the stipulations of the Federal
employment Sterilization act. The ad-
vantageS resulting from this new pro-
Cedure are not yet fully appreciated,
but the studies thus far inaugurated
predict new methods in administration
that will prove superior to those here
tOfore in vogue.
I'VE are glad to support the program
OF advance planning of public works
and advocate its adoption by other
cities. While many new adventures in
public business contemplate financial
OUTLAWS and disruption OF established
departments, this service fits nicely into
the ordinary routine and involves negli-
gible expense. If properly supported
by administrative officials and the pub
lie. it holds rare possibilities, an out
standing one being the assurance of re-
establishing the credit of American
municipalities.
Advantages Discussed.
The publication discusses the advan-
tageS OF advance planning in general
goes into a history of the growth of
the development Of Washington, eX-
plains the government of the city and
its fiscal affairs. points out the trends
to be considered in planning and pre-
sents wealth of graphs and charts,
illustrating various stages of growth
here, both physical and financial
The bulletin says:
The City OF Washington has been an
inspiration and an example for others
OF the country, due to the genius dis
played in its early design and the gener-
osity of the people of the country in
making possible magnificent improve
mentS which are in evidence today. 1t
is the most prominent example of an
American community where rare judg-
ment was displayed in establishing a
broad gauge pattern in the beginning,
and, fortunately, tenaciously adhered to
In subsequent years"
The report sets it down that The
scientific advance planning of public
works by municipalities necessitates q
thorough knowledge of the financial
affairs OF the community. The collec-
ton OF revenue through various chan
nels by administrative officials, with
no studied conception of the disburse-
ment of these funds, cannot be &C.
copied as wise procedure. Neither can
the expenditures of public funds for
physical enterprises without ANALYSIS
as to their fitness and necessity to the
community Or without relation to
financial resources, be sustained as
judicious practice.
Essential Elements Here.
THE fiscal affairs of a city admins
tration and the consideration and in
auguration of public works are essen
tial elements of the public business
and should not be separated. They
should be Jointly treated as integral
parts OF composite program. Failure
to recognize this basic principle is re-
sponsible for some of the financial
handicaps facing many communities
today.
1T should be noted at the start that
the finances Of this political entity are
novel in public administration, and find
no counterpart elsewhere in the United
States. The underlying reason for this
Is the presence of the United States
Capitol within the boundaries of the
District and the intrusting of leeisla-
lion to the C0npress