Evening star., 1934-07-22
Civic Bodies, Civic Problems
TGkomd Association Active m Demands TO Remain
Dry-Snmmer Com nferences Planned TO Draw
Up Programs for Winter.

This authority is being welded BY
Federal commissions and admin
istrative officers and agencies.
Arbitrary control OF the District
budget by the Bureau Of the Budget
has put the District at the mercy
of that agency to such an extent
that II Is difficult. IL not impossible.
70 give th7 Congress q correct
picture Of District needs for the
intelligent performance OF its con-
situtional outy as exclusive local
legislature.
The latest autOCrat to exercise
super governmental powers over
the District is the Secretary OF the
Interior in his capacity OF public
works administrator. Last year the
District Commissioners were al
lOtted by the Public Works Ad-
ministration an outright grant Of
Sl.70O.O0O for sewer construction.
This money was accepted by the
Commissioners with the under
standing that this was to be a
Federal grant OF the entire amount
under the plan Of making large
expenditures in the movement
against unemployment. This sewer
job would never have been un-
dertaken except upon the basis
as an absolute grant. However.
Congress is requiring the District
to pay back 10 per cent Of this
advance and at a much more
rapid rate than similar payments
are required to be made by the
States-in fact, the District being
required to pay back Immediately,
while other communities are given
a term Of years 70 meet their
payments.
After much earnest work by civic
leaders and District officials the
Commissioner were authorized to
receive a loan, including a 30 per
cent grant TO cover certain much
needed capital expenditures. Among
these were the sewage disposal
system and the erection of a
tuberculosis sanitarium for adults.
Mr. IckeS has already authorized
the allotment of the money for the
sewage disposal system. but has
not approved the other items
which Congress so grudgingly in
cluded. The plan was TO build
the adult sanitorium on the
ground at Glenn Dale, Nd, upon
which the first unit Of the sani-
torium for children has been
erected This site was selected by
a competent committee which in
cluded in its membership promi-
nent members of the medical pro-
fession after viewing l22 different
sites in Maryland and Virginia.
One Of the governing require
ments In the handling of this
problem was to create an adequate
medical center for the treatment
of tuberculosis which would be
convenient to attending physicians
and where efficient centralized
management and operation would
reduce the costs of operation.
1t appears now the public
works administrator is not in
clined to advance the funds which
Congress has authorized unless the
sanitorium is erected on some
other site. The Commissioners,
in Difference to his wishes. have
selected a committee to locate an
other site. The fact that there
will be an additional expenditure
for site which is not needed and
that there will be certain TO be a
large cost in operation, and addi-
tional costly equipment duplicated
is something which civic workers
are criticizing bitterly.
Civic leaders are pointing out
that here is another case some
what like the unused municipal
center site. Here the Commits
sioners asked Congress for a mod
est amount to acquire additional
land on which to erect a modest
building to care for the overflow
of the growing municipal activi-
ties. Efforts were also being made
to erect courts building in Ju-
dietary Square to balance the
Court of Appeals Building, in
which to house our courts and
the recorder of deeds Office.
This would not fit in with the
elaborate Federal program, so four
city blocks were acquired by di-
rection of Congress and now, with
millions invested in an enormous
site. the District government is
still without these accommoda-
tions. which it has needed for
many years.