Evening star., 1944-12-22
Trade Board Leads
Drive for Postwar
Wafer Front Projects

WAFER FROM PT0JecS
Regular passenger travel by waite
from New York and Boston an,
other points along the Atlanti
Coast to the Nations Capital is en-
visaged after the war in line witt
contemplated improvements to tn
Washington Channel.
Leading the movement for co
ordinated development of Washing
tons water front is the River ant
Harbor Committee of the Washing
ton Board Of Trade, headed by Johr
A. Remon.
I'm the past" Mr.. Remon said
many OF our river and harbor i'm.
provements have been individually
conceived and sponsored. Many
persons have had varying ideas al
to what was needed, with the result
that assorted schemes have been
suggested. each unrelated to the
other and each guided more by the
Immediate needs of the interested
group than by the long-term needs
OF the city as whole"
Legislation Dies.
Proposed legislation for a compre-
hensive survey of Washington
waterfront needs died with the
Seventy-eighth Congress. 1t is ex-
pected, however, that the rivers and
harbors bill introduced in the House
by Representative Mansfield of
Texas, which embodies provisions
for study of the Potomac River
and the Washington Channel, will
be presented again when the new
Congress meets next month.
The Board of Trade Committee
wants the survey to be made with
three objectives in mind:
Maximum use of the river for
commercial trafrc. This must be
done, 1t was pointed out. with the
realization that Washington never
will become an industrial city. The
waterways should be used to en-
courage low-cost transportation OF
lumber and other commodities used
In the local market.
2. Greater recrea tional facilities
10 meet the increased postwar needs
Water front Identification.
3. Beautification of the entire
water front.
Improvements along the Wash
ington Channel. begun under con-
gressional authority In 1885, were
interrupted by the war. Neverthe-
less, some of the developments were
completed before it was necessary
to stop the work
All waterfront structures except
the Municipal Fish Wharf and the
Capital Yacht Club building were
demolished and two new yacht
basins and commercial pier were
built. This work has cost 81 III 900.
When the projects are completed,
the water front also will have two
additional yacht basins and three
other piers. including one for the
Joint use Of the Fire and Police De-
partments, one for excursion boats
and another for passenger boats.
Plans for the remaining work to
be done on the channel have been
drawn in the Office of the District
United States engineer, headed by
Col John M. Johnson. When COM
pleted, the channel development will
have cost about $2,827 900 of which
all but about $4,000 is being paic
by the Federal Government.
Would End Pollution.
Mr.. Remon's committee Is also
eager to clean up polluted areas ir
local waters. Five years ago, the
committee was instrumental in set
ting up f1ve-State commission tt
purify the Potomac and its tribu-
taries. The committee is still active
and has completed a technical study
Of publication standards.
Another project awaiting com
pletion Is conversion of the Ana
costa flats When the war inter-
rupted work. this conversion was 90
per cent complete There is some
danger, the committee says, that
unless the job Is finished soon. sea-
walls already built will be under
mined by food waters getting be-
hind the unfinished portion.
The committee further asks for
removal of the old Aqueduct Bridge
piers which destroy the beauty of
one of Washingtons most scenic
doorways." for dredging of the Vir-
gi1ia channel mud fats adjacent to
Hams Point. revision of the harbor
regulations in the light of improve
ments TO encourage greater water
commerce and construction of mu-
ficiDai canoe and sailing haSeS