Evening star., 1952-02-13
-
Area Leaders
Give Views on
(.ounciIProposa|
Would Consider :.
Mutual Problems
Of City, Counties

9AcdQ61Sf III SucdFpy Mafyia0Q
and Virginia counties today ex-
pressed Understanding from
enthusiasm to a willingness to
,listen--in the proposal Of the Dis
attict Commissioners to establish a
sSeuncil to consider mutual prob
Isms Of Metropolitan Area.
The Commissioners yesterday
voted to invite surrounding coun-
ties to join them in setting up an
Interstate Council. This coun-
fcl would consider problems Of
health, welfare and public safety
common to the whole area.
1.-THE District must abandon its
territorial boundaries. declared
commissioner F. Joseph Donohue
] mi suggesting the formation of the
eouncil.
First Step Planned.
Mr.. Donohue said the first step
would be a luncheon meeting In
att1e near future. Oficials of Alex
andria and Arlington, Fairfax,
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties will be asked to attend.
Irving C. McNayr, Montgomery
County manager. declared:
IA I'VE stand ready to cooperate
With the Commissioners. Mont
8overy County will cooperate in
Apery possible way in meeting and
working with groups in all phases
M the metropolitan problems"
Mr.. McNayr said he had dis
sealssed the matter with Mr..
Donohue several times. He said
he agrees that some council
should be set up but feels that it
/. .should operate within the existing
governmental structure.
Lathrop Smith, Montgomery
County Council president, called
the move a logical step that will
give us an opportunity to attack
t&good many questions that affect
Gs ALL"
4 Political Differences Cited.
a -Four Of the Prince Georges
County Commissioners said they
were "open-minded" on the pro-
posal. Thomas E. Lattimer, chair
man. said, "1f we are invited, We
ill attend a conference designed
10 explain objectives and the
Means propOSed to obtain them"
he added: :.
But it should be remembered
that differing political situations
/. III the adjacent counties may give
rise to problems difficult to solve"
J, Commissioners Daniel A.. Alb
shott, w. Everett Marion and
Edward j. Waters expressed a will
stngness to attend a conference
sbut also would reserve Judgment
! until they had heard the ideas
advanced. . ss 4
-, q. Wallace Carper. chairman OF
the Fairfax County Board of
Supervisors. said he thought the
yroposed council would be good
8hing. He said there was a definite
need to study the situation. Ar
thur Shaffer. a member of the
county board. said. he definitely
was In favor Of closer cooperation
3 md coordination of planning
among communities in the Wash
mgton area.
Zone thing I'm particularly in
terested in is better highway
Manning" Mr.. Shaffer said.
~ Virginian Likes Idea.
A c. C. Robinson, executive di-
rector of the Northern Virginia
Regional Planning and Economic
Development Commission, said the
idea sounded "very laudable" and
that he was confident his group
would be interested in discussing
1.-THE idea.
Franklin P. BackuS, Mayor of
Alexandria, said his city would be
happy to cooperate in organizing
such a council. He said the met
ropolitan area is an integrated
seommunity now and needed a
regional approach to mutual
problems.
.9 He said he did not think the
plan would succeed easily, how
lever. He said it was miracle"
that Alexandria, Arlington, Falls
Church and Fairfax had been able