Evening star., 1937-01-28
PLANNING BODY
HELDNOT SEEKING
| FURTHER POWERS
Settle Announces Commits
sion Is Satisfied With Pres
ent Arrangement.
JACOBS COMMITTEE
| RECOMMENDED CHANGE
Parts of Report Bearing on Ac-
tivities Discussed and Reso-
luton Is Adopted.

Taking up discussion of the Jacobs
committee fiscal report, the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion today passed a resolution, assert
ing it ''is not seeking any new or
further powers" its secretary, Thomas
S. Settle, announced.
The commission did not discuss any
phase of the Jacobs report that did
not bear directly on the commissions
own activity now and in the future.
Frederic A. Delano, commission
chairman and its executive, and Arno
B. Cammerer, director of the Ma
tional Park Service and also executive
officer OF the commission. were in
structed to appear before the COM
nittees of Congress, as the body's
legislative committee and inform the
lawmakers of the commissions atti-
tude
Present Plan Satisfactory.
Settle explained that the commits
sion lis satisfied with the present ar
rangement and is getting on very
satisfactorily with the District govern
ment. the Federal Government and
| other agencies concerned"
Suggestions contained in the Jacobs
report, affecting the planners, include
changing the name of the organiza-
| ton to the National Capital Planning
Commission; would add personnel,
having more representation from the
| District government; would instruct it
to 60 over capital expenditures of the
city and decide on the location Of Spe-
ciflc municipal buildings and pro rate
the expenditure Of money, deciding
the shares to be paid by the Federal
and District government, Settle as
serted.
Other projects considered include
the Mellon Art Gallery. the new Penn
sylyania Avenue Bridge across the
Anacostia River, the new War De-
partment and the Thomas Jefferson
! Memorial.
To Discuss Scenic Drive.
Latest developments in tae Balti.
more and Annapolis regional plan,
under which Washington would be
furnished with a new parkway and
scenic drive. will be laid before the
planners. T. c. JefferS, the commits.
sion's landscape architect. and NAL
colin H. Dill, who has been loaned
by the Tennessee Valley Authority
to the National Resources Committee.
will make this report. Dill, who IS
heading the study, is cooperating
with Maryland National Capital Park
and Planning Commission and the
Maryland States planning group in the
work
The Potomac Valley Authority, pro-
posed by Representative Rankin,
Democrat, of Mississippi and report
for this region from the Water Re-
sources Committee of the National
Resources Committee will likewise be
duiscussed.
Water Front Plans Get Attention.
Improvements along the Washington
Channel water front will be brought
to the commissions attention by E. A.
Schmitt, senior engineer Of the United
States Engineer Office. Schmitt and
c. Marshall Finnan, superintendent
of National Capital Parks, will give
the planners their ideas on the pro.
posed new heights of the hood con-
troll levees at the rear of the Navy
and Munitions Building.
Possible sites for an auditorium for
the Capital will be debated by the
commission after receiving a report
from Jeffers, who has made a special
study of the subject. The auditorium
as part Of the East Capitol street de-
velopment on the banks of the Ana
costa River will receive attention.
Before meeting with the Fine Arts
Commission the planners will discuss
locations for the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial. including that at the Tidal
Basin and the proposal to have the
East Capitol street development as
tribute to jefferson.
Tomorrow morning w. T. Partridge.
consulting architect to the planners,
will present preliminary studies for
future Government buildings on the
south side of the Mall in the south
west The southwest, Settle explained
today, is the next logical step for
future construction. In conjunction
with the Mellon Art Gallery, the plan
ners will study the proposed closing
of Sixth street, the widening of Sew
enth street to compensate for this
and any other plans for traffic move
ment.