Evening star., 1935-03-06
Col. Sultan and Others Cite
Needs Before House
Committee.
WATER FRONT is HELD
MOST UNSIGHTLY AREA
Commercial Aspects of Project and
Beauty Stressed at Hear.
ing on Measure.

Engineer Commissioner Sultan to-
day declared before the House Rivers
and Harbors Committee that "of all
the publicly-owned property In the
City of Washington the water front
Is the most unsighty area"
Col. Sultan and a contingent of
officials and citizens appeared before
the committee asking for the ex-
penditure of sl650,000 for the i'm
provement of Washington Harbor and
deepening of Washington Channel
Led by former Representative John
Small, a member of the Georgetown
Citizens Association, an array of wit
nesSes brought out the fact that Wash
ington at present has perhaps the
dirtiest and most dilapidated water
front on the American Continent
comparable to the slums OF Port Said.
ID. c. Would Contribute.
Under the proposed legislation the
District Government would pay ap-
proximately 20 per cent Of the cost
of improving the water front; that is
$3.50 900. Col. Sultan in his testimony
stated the sought after Improvements
are strictly for beautification pur-
poses.
He said that its present condition
mars the beauty of the park on the
other side of the river. If the ap-
preparation goes through. the District
would continue to operate the flsh
market and wharf and the police and
harbor master facilities.
~ fhA
National Park and Planning Com
mission, also made Plea for the
Identification of the water front. Set
tie said it was time the Government
did something about the 5000 acres
of water in Washington Iaarbor, using
them for recreational facilities.
Testimony by other witnesses
brought out the fact that washington
would be benefited comme rcially if the
water front were improved. Ofhcials
of the American Power Boat Associa-
ton stated that many more yachts
and boats would come to Washington
if dockage were given them.
Channel Need Explained.
Maj. R. w. Crawford of the En-
gineer Division. U. S. A., was called to
the stand and explained Washington
needed a 24-foot channel The chan
mel. he said, is now 20 feet. He also
recommended widening Of Water
street to 160 feet-and the removal OF
all shacks on the water front. He said
that if proper wharfage was placed
here, lumber from the West Coast
could be shipped into Washington in
great quantities.
Maj. B. S. Somerville spoke for the
Office of the chief Of Engineers. U. S.
Army. He said the present project
has been under consideration for 10
years. The chief finds it is worthy
project" Maj. Somerville said. He
also stated the chief of Army En-
gineers refused to make any estimate
of how the financing of the project
should be proportioned between the
District and the Federal Government.
Finnan Joins Request.
c. Marshall Finnan. superintendent
of the National Capital parks, made a
plea for the Identification of the wa
ter front and deepening OF the river.
Others who appeared today were
J. A. Remon, secretary Of the Presi-
dents Cup Regatta Association; L.
Gordon Leach, official timer for the
regatta; ]. S. Bardwell, F. w. Bush,
G. A. Clark, v. B. Connolly, Ed Costi-
gan, Charles E. st. John, DR.. Lyman
D. Sexton of the american Power
Boat Association, and Harry S. Wen
der. representing the Federation of
Citizens Associations.
In another capacity. Wender rep
resented the Southwest Citizens AS
sociation. AS one who knew the ter
ritory under discussion, he presented
an emphatic plea for the improvement.