Evening star., 1946-10-06
Overall Agency Seen
For Washington Area
Orderly Development Calls fol
Integrated Administration


Integrated Administration
BIZ John w. Thompson, J.
Community OF interests in an increas-
ing number Of fields daily Is welding tbs
District and its surrounding counties
into single, overall Metropolitan Area.
The recent get-together Of the public
utility regulatory agencies from the
various Jurisdictions, with its promise
of eventual solution of the interstate
taxicab rate problem, is perhaps the
latest in a series Of events in the trend.
The complex interrelationships be-
tween the Capital City, Arlington Coun-
ty, Va, and Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties, Md, are too numerous
to give completely, but few will serve
to point up the problems resulting from
separate administrations.
Commercially, for example. the big
downtown department stores and radio.
grocery and theater chains are estab-
fishing branches across the District
line the availability of which to District
purchasers is imposing severe problems
on the citys tax outlook. A sales tax
levied on purchases at the downtown
stores would not apply to the same
article bought from the same store
across the line in the State tax juris-
diction. Even such an item as the small
differential in the gasoline tax between
Virginia, the District, and Maryland
places service station businesses in the
higher tax areas at a disadvantage.
In the field of public utilities the link
up is particularly striking. Capital
Transit Co. buses and streetcars operate
in the nearby jurisdictions, and Virginia
and Maryland bus companies pick up
District passengers under certain condi-
tions. The Potomac Electric Power Co.
and the Washington Gas Light Co.
either furnish power and gas directly
across the District boundaries or through
subsidiary companies. The Washington
Aqueduct provides water in Virginia.
All Of these operations are made more
complex than they otherwise would be
by being subject to different admins
tration the moment the District line u
crossed. -
During the coal strike of last spring,
for instance, when the Commissioners
and the Public Utilities Commission were
forced to impose dimout on the use OF
electric power, the authority for the
order stopped at the District line, but
the electric service continued on beyond.
Efforts to obtain the support of Gov.
OConor to compel observance in Mary
land failed. Mr.. O'Conor replied that
he could request but not order his citi-
zens to dim out. Voluntary cooperation
with the District in the emergency was
sought and pretty largely obtained.
This incident brought forcibly home
to the Commissioners their inability to
protect the District from a loss Of power
had the nearby citizens chosen not to go
along with them
The fact is that the nearby counties
are providing homes for . large popu-
lation whose family focus Is washington.
not Richmond or Annapolis. They work
inside and live outside the city boundary.
And their residence gives them voting
interest in the Congress which governs
the seat of their employment.
This situation has tended generally to
erase from their minds the Constitu-
tionally-fixed boundaries Of the District
and made them citizens Of the Metro
politan Area.
Significant evidence Of this can be
found in the impending reorganization
of the Community Chest and the social
planning agencies on Metropolitan
Area level.
From q governmental point Of view,
ut least one Of the Commissioners is
interested. Engineer Commissioner
Gordon R. Young in his $22s, ,000, 900 six
year expansion program Of city services
and facilities has suggested the posi-
bility Of ultimately common police and
fire protection for the Metropolitan Area.
Even now municipal interests reach
across the boundary, with District adult
penal institutions operated In Virginia
and health and welfare institutions In
Maryland. An expansion Of the pro-
posed child welfare center at Laurel Is
in prospect when funds are provided.
Other problems that continue to recur
include the status OF nonresident chill
dren in District schools and the use Of
nonresidents of District hospital facil-
tiles.
These complexities all seem to point
inevitably toward the establishment, at
some future date. of some agency super
imposed upon the present administra-
tive jurisdictions ut . poicymaking
level which would have authority to
iron out the confusion.
The need is clear. The will is de-
veloping Beyond this no one can pre-
dict with certainty the form the solution
will take. But it is coming.
and the magnificent grove Of elms In
the grounds north of the Executive Man
sion was almost ruined. The build
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