Evening star., 1933-06-29
The Districts Recovery" Program

In asking the Federal administrator
of public works for grants under the
national recovery act to finance needed
projects In the District of Columbia
the Commissioners have pursued
policy that Is not only justified by the
terms Of the act, which specifically IN
cluded the District with the States
within the range of its operations, but
is demanded by the needs of the Ma
tional Capital. Some thirty works OF
Improvement and equipment are IN
cluded in the list submitted, all Of them
required. some of them being arrears
Of construction and some in provision
for assured needs in the near future.
The Capital has had previous ex-
perience in the accumulation OF neces-
sites Of equipment due to stringency OF
revenues. During the war, when local
appropriations were greatly reduced to
adjust to the national necessities, re-
ouired construction works were aban-
doned or postponed, especially school
buildings. The District was seriously
set back in its development and upkeep,
and indeed has not even yet recovered
from that emergency limitation. Some
of the projects now proposed for under
taking on the basis of advances under
the national recovery act and in an
ticipation of future District revenues
are relics of this preceding period OF
stringency.
The entire project proposed by the
Commissioners should be undertaken
To do so would be to give the District
an adequate equipment for the first time
in many years-indeed, perhaps fer all
time. Foremost in the list of works for
which the Commissioners now ask ad-
yances under the recovery act is the
Municipal Center, undertaken by direc-
ton of Congress on a scale required by
National Capital making standards and
suspended by congressional limitation.
The Districts own headquarters build
ing. located within the area pre-empted
for Federal constructions. was doomed
to abandonment by the District. Other
provisions for an administrative center
were necessary and were planned on
scale that in equity called for special
Federal assistance, instead of which,
however, the Federal contribution to the
upkeep of the Capital municipality was
reduced. This item, therefore, has par
ticularly appropriate place in the list
of works to be advanced under the
national recovery act.
These projects proposed by the Com
rlissioners for development on the basis
of grants amounting to S22,716,500 in
clude hospitals, schools, branch libra
ries, new jail, new morgue, addl-
tional buildings for the Geological Park,
extension of the sewer system and a new
fire engine house. All of these are nee
essary. Also requisite are contagious
disease ward for the municipal hospital,
junior and a major high school, new
bridge at the Calvert street crossing of
Rock Creek Every one of these works
represents arrears left by appropriation
deficiencies of the past. All of them
should have been undertaken long ago.
For example, the Calvert Street Bridge
has been rated as a work of necessity for
fully twenty years. The District jail, long
since outgrown and outmoded in equip
ment, should have been replaced with a
new structure as long ago. There has
been need of a contagious disease ward
at Gallinger Hospital ever since that
institution was established. The school
needs represented By the two major
buildings listed in the Commissioners
requisition should have been provided
at least five years ago, and will be filed
Immediately up1n completion.
1t may be doubted if any other COM
munity in this country can make more
justified appeal for assistance through
the national recovery act The District
was specifically included among the
benefciaries Of this legislation. Its
requisition should be granted.