Evening star., 1944-05-03

the report says, has co-operated
with those areas at their request in
drafting subdivision regulations.
Adequate Status.
OF great significance, however
than these specific changes in the
relations between the District Build
ing and the Planning Commission
is the suggestion running all
through the voluminous budget re-
port that the planning body should
be clothed with adequate status
in relation to the various Federal
and District development agencies
to make its overall plan for the
metropolitan area "a positive and
functioning guide" in the day-to-
day activities of these other
agencies.
Although the commission would
continue to buy the land for park
extensions-Which was one of Its
original functions-the budget rec
ommends that the word Park" be
stricken from its title to lay greater
emphasis on its status as the over
all planning agency for the National
Capital and its environs.
The Budget Bureau declares that
since it's creation in 1926, the Park
and Planning Commission has been
able to exert considerable co-ordi-
mating influence among the various
agencies charged with planning and
developing public improvements. It
can be credited with preventing
some of the worst consequences of
unco-o -ordinated planning, and with
keeping alive the interest In Capt.
tai planning"
No Legal Authority.
But the commission often has had
no legal authority by which 1t could
require other agencies to consider
the relation Of their separate plans
and developments to the require
ments of a consistent and integral
ed plan for the whole metropolitan
area, and in many instances its views
have not been sought or else have
been completely disregarded. The
commission has had even less op-
portunity to coordinate private with
public development"
While stressing the national in
terest in the development of Wash
ington. and proposing to give the
Federal planning agency stronger
voice in the day-to-day functions OF
the local government, the Budget
Bureau makes no mention of the
fact that the national treasury is
now providing less than 10 per cent
of the cost of running the city. In
the budget now being drafted by
the House for the year commencing
July l, the Fderal payment is $6,-
0O0, 900 toward total estimated out
lay of $67,000,000. The rest will be
paid by the local committee.
Two-Way Financing.
On the subject of financing Fed
eral developments here, the Budget
Bureau document contains this brief
description:
Federal development activities
within the District of Columbia are
financed in two ways. First, cer-
tain functions, such as the opera
ton OF public parks and the i'm
provement of Washington Chan
mel, are financed from District of
Columbia funds. The agencies
handling these functions are units
of Federal departments and are not
subject to District administrative
control, but indirect District par
ticipation is obtained through the
power held by the Board of Com
missioners- to review estimates for
appropriations from District sources.
Second, certain other functions,
such as the improvement and main
tenance of the Capitol Building and
grounds and the construction of
Federal buildings are financed
wholly from Federal sources and
have no financial relationship with
the District government. Both
types Of activities are federally ad-
ministered and their association
with the National Capital planning
agency involves an intra- Federal
relationship"
Another step proposed by the
Budget Bureau to improve the
status Of the planning commission
is that it%annual salaries and op-
Grating expenses be financed from
Federal rather than District funds.
This is a comparatively small out
lay, however, In comparison with
the $l6,000,000 park-purchase pro-
gram authorized by the Capper-
Cramton Act, which the District
pays back into the Federal Treas
ury in annual installments. The
budget report points out that the
reorganized planning agency will