Evening star., 1935-11-18
ROOSEVELT URGES
PLANNING BOARDS
Permanent Agencies Would
Coordinate U. S. and
Local Programs.
By the Associated Press.

Permanent planning agencies FOR
national, State and local governments
were advocated by President Roosevelt
in making public yesterday a report
by the National Resources Committee
on State planning developments.
"The rapid organization and prog
ress of Is State planning boards, the
accomplishments of which are out
lined in the report Of the National
Resources Committee" the President
said, show that the people of our
country understand and want long
range planning and foresight In public
affairs.
ITO give lasting substance and
direction to planning for the wise use
of our human and natural resources,
we need permanent advisory planning
boards for towns, cities, counties,
States and the Union"
Permanent P. w. A. Urged.
Reports by the National Resources
Committee, which is headed by Sec
retary Ickes and was named by Mr..
Roosevelt to plan the use and develop
ment Of national resources. were the
original basis for the $4,000, ,000, 900
work-relief program. But many Of its
recommendations we're laid aside be-
cause of Harry L. Hopkins insistence
on small projects designed to At the
supply of relief labor in individual
communities.
Yesterday, however, the committee
advocated establishment of a perma-
nent Public Works Administration to
coordinate Federal and State works
programs it estimated woud involve
s26 900 100000 in the period from
1885 to 1914.
4-Point Program.
1t added these three recommenda-
tions for four-fold program:
/. Permanent status, with adequate
financial support" for State planning
boards with Federal personnel to help
during the development period"
2. Unremitting efforts in the direc-
ton Of closer cooperation between
State and Federal governments in the
many practical channels without dis
turbing the just balance between ma
tional and local authorities. One of
the greatest losses in public expendi-
ture lies, the report said, in the fire.
quent failure to pool available re-
sources and personnel freely.
3. Closer consideration by State
planning agencies of possibilities of
co-ordinating all phases of national
resource development, along the lines
of the committees own national
reports.
The committees survey Of State
planning which drew comment from
President Roosevelt said every State,
except Louisiana and Delaware, now
had planning board.
Cooperation Held Essential.
1t reported that more than 500
prominent citizens we're cooperating
in the work of State planning boards
and said mo matter how small or
large the normal expenditure for pub
lie works may be, it is of prime i'm
portance that there be such co-ordina-
ton among the State and Federal gov
ernments that maximum returns may
be assured to the people Of the States"
The committee added:
Too great Capitalization in Wash
ington is not desirable even if posi-
BILE, since planning is an attitude and
a practice which must command the
confidence and invite the cooperation
Of wide groups Of people. 1t must
come from the bottom up as well as
from the top down"
In emphasizing that politics be kept
out of such work. the committee said
State boards should serve as general
stats" to Governors and Legislatures.
1T cannot be too strongly empha-
Sized" it said. that the function Of
these boards Is not that of making
final decisions upon broad questions
of policy-a responsibility which rests
firmly upon the elected representatives
of the people. Such board will be
useful in proportion as 1t is detached
from immediate political power. serv-
ing as the technical tool of the de-
U. S. Role Held Requirement.
Terming continued Federal support
for State planning an indispensable
factor in any effective program for
better utilization of the natural and
human resources Of the country" the
committee said notable progress" al
ready had been made in planning
land use. while advancement was "sig-
nificant" in water use ana mineral use.
The committee previously had is
sued reports on these activities as well
as on the need of more adequate map
ping and the development of the Mis-
siSsippi River Valley.
Members of the National Resource
Committee, besides Ickes and Hopkins,
are: Secretaries Dern. Wallace. Ro-
per and Perkins; Frederic A. Delano,
an uncle of the President; Charles
E. Merriam and Wesley c. Mitchell.
Formerly known as the National Re-
sources Board, its. name was changed
when it was given an additional
81 ,000, 900 public allotment year ago.