Evening star., 1947-02-24
Fowler Strikes Back
Al Grant in Fighting
Fort Drive Project

District Budget Ohlcer Walter L..
Fowler today re-entered the battle
between District officials and the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission over the proposed Fort
drive project.
He rejected criticism of his arith-
metic on the cost of the project
voiced yesterday in radio address
| by Mai. Gen. u. S. Grant III, chair
man of the planning commission.
Mr.. Fowler last month collabo-
rated with District Assessor Edward
A. Dent in a report urging abandon
ment of the drive because there was
neither money nor need for it. The
project originated with the plan
ming commission and proposes 21-
mile freeway around the city con-
Meeting some 20 Civil War defense
areas and breastworks.
In his radio speech yesterday,
Gen. Grant quoted the two Dis
trict officials as saying that the cost
Of the right of way has been $4,-
100000 with 100000 more needed.
According to Gen. Grants figures,
the commission chairman said, costs
actually have been $2,803, 49, 10, with
more than 98 per cent of the neces-
sary land already acquired.
Sticks by Figures.
Mr.. Fowler said his cost figure
was shown in his report tocover
both the right of way and the land
occupied by the forts, and added:
'Ill stick by my figures"
Gen. Grant also took issue with
la $35 100000 estimate of the two
District officials on the cost of con-
structing the drive. He said that
six years ago the District Highway
Department set figure of $13,-
SOC, 900 and that even increased con-
struction costs would not bring the
present day figure to the Fowler
Dent estimate.
Highway officials said, however,
that paving costs today were up rs
per cent over 1941 and that cost of
any construction, such as overpasses,
has more than doubled. Mr.. Fow-
ler indicated he would stick by
this estimate also.
District officials also denied that
the l cent increase in the gaso-
line tax approved by Congress just
before Pearl Harbor contemplated
construction of the Fort drive as
indicated by Gen. Grant.
They said the Planning Commis-
sion had asked for such funds from
the tax increase, but this was never
approved by the Commissioners.
The record will snow, they said,
that the tax increase was sought
to put into effect the Highway De-
partment's own program, which did
not include Fort drive.
Grant Attacks Objections.
In his radio talk, Gen. Grant
sharply attacked attempts to aban-
don the project.
In an interview over Radio Sta
tion VOL, he declared the proposed
scenic route linking the Civil War
forts would form a ring Of arterial
highways by which north and
southbound traffic could bypass
congested areas of Washington. and
would be about the best investment
yet made Of our taxes"
District Commissioner j. Russell
Young has urged the project be,
scuttled because, he says, 1t Is too
expensive and needless. Commis-
sioner Young's stand, he, said, was
based on recommendations made by
District Assessor Edward Dent and
Mr.. Fowler.
Although he did not mention Mr..
Young, Gen. Grant said Mr.. Dent
and Mr.. Fowler certainly did jump
off the deep end in this dive into
city planning" Furthermore, he
said, "the adding machine boys did
not even have their figures right.
The view that much Of the Fort
Drive property could be used as
sites for homes was countered by
Gen. Grant with the statement that,
of the 72368 acres in the right OF
way, only about 1856 acres could be
sold for building lots and they gen.
orally would be ill-adapted to profit
able building. !
He said he hoped the Commission
ers will live up to an agreement
reached by a previous commission
in the 193os to 90 through with the
project.
United States Savings Bonds
At the national need and fill a per