Evening star., 1947-02-21
Group Outlines
Plans for City's
1850 Festival
Sources of Revenue
Will Have to Be Found
Joint Committee Told

What must be done financially
and physically to Washington be-
fore it. can claim rightfully to be
the foremost capital city in the
world was explained today to repre-
sentatives of 10 national organiza-
items concerned with planning the
Districts Sesqui-centennial celebra-
ton.
District department heads outlined
the municipal needs in a round
table discussion at the District
Building with members of the Joint
Committee on the National Capital
after a brief meeing with the Com
mlssloners. The committee is one of
several formed to plan the 15Oth
anniversary observance in 1850.
Robert Woods Bliss of Washing
ton, representative of the Amer
ican Federation of Arts, was elected
chairman by unanimous vote. He
succeeds c. c. Zantzinger, who was
appointed to replace William A.
Delano as member of the Park
and Planning Commission.
In brief, the municipal officials
held the following things neces-
sary:
New sources of revenue must be
found if high level of public serv-
ice. Is to be maintained,
En- any consideration of legisla-
tion affecting the District, Congress
must remember that the District
embraces the functions of State
as well as city. 1t must keep in
mind also that population in
crease of 25O,000 in the years 1940-
A equaled that of the preceding
Il years, and hence greatly aggra-
waited the need for improvements.
Large Schools Recommended.
In more specific recommended
tions, DR.. Hobart M. Corning, school
superintendent, called for consoli-
dation of many of the city's Groom
elementary schools into larger units
to aanswer the space problem Gre
ated by population shifts which de-
veloped after the original school
plan was laid out.
DR.. George c. Ruhland, health
officer, terming all but one of the
city's IA major hospitals "ohsoles-
cent" said they should be rebuilt
and distributed over a wider area
fthe city. He also recommended
erection of at least six municipal
centers in slum areas.
Ray L. Huff, welfare director, said
that the key to success in walfare
lies In emphasis on family security
rather than upon any organized
program of "benevolence."
Horace w. Peaslee, vice chairman,
opened the discussion by saying the
committee hopes to do for Wash
ington in 1850 dis much as was done
for it at the time of the centennial
celebration in 1900. He recalled that
the city's orderly development was
stimulated at that time, as evi-
denced by creation later of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission and the National Com
mission of Fine Arts.
hullASIpdl view pUlht StEcSSCus
Mr.. PeaSlee said his group was
making a special effort to under
stand District problems from the
municipal viewpoint. He added that
there has been too great a tendency
on. the part of outsiders to consider
the city a Federal problem.
District officials who addressed
the group included Budget Officer
Walter F. Fowler, Tax Assessor Ed
ward A. Dent, Corporation Counsel
Vernon West, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Vernon Shurm, DR..
Corning, DR.. Rutland and Mr.. Huff
Charles Strofberg, special assistant
to- Commissioner John Russell
Young, was moderator.
The joint committee, which is de-
voting an entire day to municipal
study, was scheduled to meet at
2 pm. with the Planning and Fine
Arts Groups. At $50 pm. it will
hold a reception and dinner at the
Lars Anderson House, 2118 Massa-
chusetts avenue NV. Commission
er Guy Mason and Mr.. Fowler will
be principal speakers.