Evening star., 1934-10-14
JOINT CONFERENCE
=:L|NKSCOUNTYA AND
. D. c. CIVIC EFFORTS
Achievements Of Interfeder-
alton, Formed in 1926,
Are Reviewed.

. Eight years ago a group Of civic
leaders Of the District Of Columbia,
Montgomery County, Md, and Airing
ton County, Va, got together in an
endeavor to link more closely the civic
interests Of three jurisdictions sepa-
rated by political barriers but inte-
grated by economic, social and civic
ties. The result Of much meeting, dis
cussing and planning was the crea-
ton of the Interfederation Confer
ence.
Civic interests naturally head up In
federated civic bodies such as have
fourished for years in the three juris-
dictions mentioned. The Interfedera-
ton Conference is made up of the
president and seven other members
of each federation. From the start
the way was left open for the other
political sections of the Metropolitan
area of Washington, namely, Prince
Georges County, Md; Fairfax County,
Va, and Alexandria, Va, although
none of these jurisdictions is yet rep
resented.
Owing to the fact that there are
sometimes antagonisms between the
Jurisdictions, the functions Of the con-
ference are carefully laid out in the
articles Of confederation. It may not
act contrary to the action of the con-
stituent bodies. Usually it acts after
civic sentiment in all three jurisdic-
.itions has made itself felt In its career
1t has dealt with such topics as sign
boards, a municipal airport, high
level bridge to replace the Chain
3 Bridge, the traction merger and other
. matters of wide interest. 1t is one of
the many civic bodies on record as in
& favor Of national representation for
= the people of the District.
Plans Made in 1926.
The plans for the new body really
crystalized at a meeting held July 26,
1925, in the home of Frank L. Hewitt
Of Silver Spring, Md, when the fol-
lowing was drawn up and signed:
1T is deemed advisable and of dis
dnct advantage that an intimate rela-
: uonship be established between the
7 organizations above mentioned (the
federations) for the purpose of con-
; certed action on all matters of common
, interest concerning the National Capt.
tai and its environs as well as to secure
q better understanding regarding such
matters in which there may appear
divergent interests"
This was made the preamble to the
articles, which were signed by Jesse
@. Suter, Oliver Owen Kuhn and r,
e. Plymale, presidents of the District
Montgomery and Arlington fedora
tions, respectively. Others who signed
the original articles were F. G. Camp
Dell, Charles F. Kincheloe and J.
Cloyd Byars Of Arlington County:
Proctor L. Dougherty, William NICK.
Clayton and James G. Yaden of the
District, and Frank L. Hewitt and r.
B. Lawrence of Montgomery County.
Those early meetings were held In
each Of the Jurisdictions which finally
made up the. conference. Later. how
ever, on account of the greater con-
venience Of central meeting place,
the gatherings were held in one of the
rooms Of the United States Chamber
Of Commerce Building. The confer
ence usually meets on the third Mon
day Of each of the Fall and Winter
months.
In the eight years of its history the
conference has served as q clearing
house for the civic problems involving
the metropolitan area, something lack
ing at the time it was formed.
Recalling the days prior to its for
nation, Mr.. Kuhn, leader in the move
ment to found the conference, said
IF the conference had nothing else to
It's credit, it would have been worth
while as place where people from
the counties and from the District
could get together, iron out their diff
ferences, and present a united front
before Congress and the other agencies
Of Government.
Cooperation Obtained.
"Before it was created, each section
would try to get its improvements, in
many cases at the expense Of the
other, and we often had instances of
one jurisdiction trying to knife the
others in the back in order to get |
something for itself
I'm matters such as the George |
Washington Memorial Boulevard and |
other metropolitan area developments |
we have stood together, presented a |
united front, and have been more eff |
fective than we could hope to have |
been acting Independently of one an
other"
The creation of National Capital |
park and planning commissions in |
Maryland and Virginia, to cooperate |
with the Federal National Park and |
Planning Commission in developing a |
system of boulevard drives and scenic |
retreats in and around the Nations |
Capital, passage Of the signboard act, |
restricting the future use Of signboards |
In the District, and many other SINH
lar pieces of legislation are among
those for which the interfederation
conference has striven.
The scope Of the work Of the con-
ference during the eight years Of its
history is most easily displayed by re-
counting some Of the resolutions 1t
has adopted.
A few of these are chosen from the
files:
Resolved, That the imaginary lines
of political boundaries should not
cause discrimination, and that the
metropolitan area Of Washington
6LlOuIQ UC COllolOCICu 90 dIIAoledAlldVCO
from the economic point Of view as
affecting public services, rates and
charges, affecting the cost of living,
and cooperative consideration should
be given all questions so involved by
the public service commissions Of the
several jurisdictions"
Resolved, That the school facili-
ties of the different jurisdictions Of
the Washington metropolitan area
should be brought to an equitable
basis, as to adequacy and high stand
ards Of efficiency, so as to avoid in
ficting hardships on children of some
localities and because Of the geo.
graphical interrelationship full reci-
procity Of school facilities should ex-
list between different jurisdictions"
Seek to Better Highways.