Evening star., 1947-03-21
D. {. Planners
Seek Way 10.
Define S|ums
Group May Adopt
House Grading Plan
Used Elsewhere
By Rudolph Kouffmonn n

Formation of a committee tn set
up scientific method to find what
are and what are not slums under
the terms of Washington's Slum Re-
development Act, appeared a strong
possibility today.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission said it vo,,Id
Try TO form such group. drawing
heaVlly on the District Health De-
partment. District Building Inspec-
tors Office, and United States Pub-
lie Health Service.
Under the terms of the act ths
commission is responsible for select
ing and making plans for the re.
building Washingtons slums.
Precedent Is Available,
Inc committee would try to adopt
method worked out on a national
scale by the committee on the
hygiene OF housing of the American
Public Health Association. and now
used to define slums in Philadel-
phla, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and
other large cities.
BY this method, houses are graded
from A to E, both as to their con-
dltlon and the environment in which
tney exist. until the character of
whole neighborhoodS is established
Points are scored against a given
house for deficiencies in 20 diff
terent kinds of facilities, ranging
from water supply to toilets and
closet space. Houses are also scored
according to the state of repair of
existing facilities, and the degres
OF unsanitary and unhealthful con.
dltlons; also according to the de.
gree to which rooms are crowded.
Used in One Block Here,
Already the District Health De-
partment and the washington
Housing Association have applied
this system to a selected block in
Washington, using a score of 100
against house as the line beyond
which a house becomes a slum
dwelling.
John Nolen, jr. the commissions
Director of Planning, who presented
the idea of adapting this method
for Washington to the commission.
said If scientific method like this
could be applied. 1t would prove a
good yardstick for measuring what
bllghted areas in the city should be
rebuilt first under the Slum Act.
The Commerce Department was To
try today to persuade the commits
sion to approve proposal to build
an airport for private planes in
Anacostia Park.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
William A. M. Burden was sched-
uled to appear this afternoon.
Proposed Site Once Rejected.
1he airport is proposed for the
land barrier between Klngmah Lake
and the Anacostia River. 1t would
be used only by private planes. It's
advocates claim it could be fitted
into the picture without getting in
the way of other developments, such
as the proposed National Sports
Center at the end of East CAPITOL
street, and without creating danger
GUS conditions In that section of
the city.
In late l945 the Aero Club of
Washington submitted a plan for
this site. but the planners turned
1t down on the grounds it would be
too costly to change the shape of
klngman Lake to accommodate the
landing field and that the strip
would be menace to public safety.
The plan called for construction
of the strip under Federal laid air
port legislation which would extend
to the District around 100000 over
a period ending in 1858.
Completing Highway Plan.
A major part of the planners
time today was to be spent putting
finishing touches on their highway
and transportation plan for the Dis
trict. They intend introducing the
plan at the Commissioners public
hearing Wednesday on the District
Departments version. OF
how the course of transit and high
way construction should run in the
postwar era.
Yesterday afternoon was spent
discussing a simplified plan for the
Fort drive project.
Commission Chairman Maj. Gen.
U. S. Grant III, told reporters after
yesterdays meeting he would not
make details Of the simplified plan
public until it is sent to the District
Commissioners for consideration.
The plan, he said, would be to
build the drive in sections without
the full number of grade separs-
tions called for in final plans and
to use existing streets to link up
the sections first completed.