Evening star., 1946-06-25
Gen. Young CitesD.C
Tax Loss, Asks Halt in
Federal Land-Buying |

Brig. Gen. Gordon r. Young,
Engineer Commissioner, late yester-
day called on the Federal Govern
ment mot to convert to Federal
use another foot of privately owned
land in the District unless it is
absolutely necessary"
His plea for a showdown on Fed
eral land purchases in the District
came in one of the final chapters
of his report to the Board of Com
missioners, outlining a master blue
print for District capital improve
ments over the next six years.
The chapter suggests what course
future Federal and Metropolitan
Area planning should take if what
he considers to be the best interests
of the District are to be served.
Some of his recommendation are
at variance with the stated views
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. The COM
mission is to hold its monthly meet
ing Thursday and Friday and there
was strong likelihood today it would
make public some comment on Gen.
Young's report at the close of the
meeting.
Point to Tax Loss.
A halt to purchases is needed be-
cause the acreage of taxable land
has grown less and less and the
Federal payment to District reve-
nues has at the same time decreased,
Gen. Young said.
He urged. too, that the Commis-
sioners and Washington residents,
acting through any mouthpiece
available, stress "the need for more
consideration of their problems and
interests than has sometimes been
given by the Federal Government
in the past"
Gen. Young listed the East Capt.
tol street development plan, which
has been urged by the Planning
Commission, Public Buildings Ad-
ministration and other agencies to
balance city development. and the
proposed District Veterans Hospital
as typical of the type of project
which would involve Federal pur-
chase of additional land the District
can Ill afford to have taken from
the tax rolls.
Every effort should be made
he said, to put Federal buildings
on land already Federally owned or
outside the District.
Supports Case Resolution.
He said he supported the Case
resolution, now before the House,
which would set up a three man
committee to see if the land occupied
by certain Government institutions
like the Soldiers Home and st.
Elizabeth Hospital Farm could not
better revert to other uses, and the
institutions moved outside the CITY, -
Turning to planning for the
Washington area as opposed to that
done for the District alone, Gen
Young termed the unity Of the
Metropolitan Area a geographic,
social and economic fact"
Unfortunately" he added, "it is
not political fact"
How far integration of the various
political jurisdictions involved can
60 he said he did not know, "but it
Is a subject which should have the
early and continued consideration
of the District Commissioners and
their opposite numbers in the other
political units"
Washington's acute housing short
age, he said, should be met by all
out efforts on the part Of the Zoning
Commission and the Planning Com
mission to make sure new con-
struction will proceed according to
sound and systematic pattern"
In planning for slum rehabilitation
projects under District legislation
now before Congress, Gen. Young
said, the planning agency should