Evening star., 1950-11-20
Spreading of Federal
Employment Is Key
Factor in Program
By Nelson M. Shepard

A plea by President Truman
for regional cooperation of a
high order" to meet future ex-
pansion needs of Metropolitan
Washington, marked the issuance
today of a long-delayed Federal
plan for development of the Cap
ital for the next 80 years.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission staked the
success of planning for an ex-
pected metropolitan population of
2 million here by 1880 on carry
, ing out a workable program of
spreading Federal employment
centers over the whole area.
Unity of effort was stressed in
the official summary of the re-
port called The Comprehensive
Plan, to meet this overall aim:
To level off Federal employ
ment in the central area of Wash
ington to the present number of
about 100000 and limit the popu-
lation of the District $eself to
about l million
For this accomplishment, the
Federal planning agency, which
has had this problem under close
study since early war years, said
the Federal Government has
double e-barreled responsibility"
The report warned:
THE Federal establishment it.
self. as the major economic base
of the community, can make or
break the future of the city by
its policy-or lack of policy-on
geographical arrangement of it's
operations.
Basic Question Is Employment.
''Most important is a decision
on the policy of locating future
centers of Federal employment.
This is the basic question on
which rests the validity Of the
comprehensive plan, and the fu-
ture of the metropolitan COM
munity."
The NCPPC decentralization
program was drawn up months
before the launching of the $40
million plan of the National Sc
curity Resources Board to dis
perse Federal agencies for defense
reasons. Congress refused to act
on the NSRB plan.
The commissions plan is based
on preventing greater congestion
in the central area" The under
lying principles of physical plan
ming are the same in either case"
said Acting Chairman A. E. De-
maray, whether the purpose is
planning for dispersal to dodge
bombs or decentralizing to get
elbow room and parking areas.
Differences are those of dis
tances."
President Truman. in a fore
word, gave his backing to the
Comprehensive Plan as first steps
were being taken to weld together
for more effective planning the di-
vided jurisdictional powers of this
unique area. This would be by
voluntary and proposed legislative
action for the plan now does not
have the force of law. In the end,
1t is up to the people of the area
and to Congress.
Work Brought Up to Date.
Under the impetus of the 1945
District Redevelopment Act the
Planning Commission reviewed
and brought up to date its work
on the plan of Washington over
the past Is years. New basic
policies evolved from these studies,
taking into consideration the
changing needs of widespread
area outside the District. Out of
a maze of recommendations, the
Commission now urges the ap-
propriate executive authority or
Congress to act promptly on these
IL major points:
l. Quick and definite decision
on decentralization of the Federal
establishment, and minimum ex-
tent OF essential new building in
the central area.
2. Prompt demolition of tenn
porary Federal buildings, especial
ly those in and near the Mall and
nearby park areas, and restoration
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