Evening star., 1952-02-12
District Invites
Nearby Areas
To Join Council
Maryland, Virginia
Officials Asked to
Donohue Luncheon


day voted to invite governing
officials Of surrounding Maryland
and Virginia counties to join them
in establishing an interstate coun-
Gil for consideration of mutual
problems of health, welfare and
public safety.
"The District must abandon its
territorial boundaries" in consid-
ering these problems, declared
Commissioner F. Joseph Donohue.
who suggested formation Of the
Greater Washington Council.
Brig. Gen. Bernard l.. Robinson,
Engineer Commissioner. quickly
seconded Commissioner Donohue's
proposal and said he is convinced
such an organization could work
effectively for the mutual inter-
est of citizens of nearby Maryland
and Virginia as well as the District.
DOnOhue to Pay for Lunch.
AS a first step toward creation
of a permanent organization,
Commissioner Donohue said he
will arrange an interstate lunch
con conference in the near future.
Officials of Alexandria and Ar
lington, Fairfax, Montgomery
and Prince Georges County will
be asked to attend. The Commits
sioner said he Would defray costs
|of the luncheon conference him.
self. .-.
Commissioner Donohoe empha-
sized that close cooperation now
exists between the District Gov
|ernment and the governments Of
the surrounding areas. Several
boards and commissions now
strive to coordinate the planning
|of the various governments, he
pointed out.
Mr.. Donohue cited the Decem-
ber sleet and snow storm which
|snarled traffic in and out Of
Washington for several hours. In
that instance, he said. joint COM
Imittees representing the District
and the surrounding areas worked
together on a mutual problem.
Police and Firemen Involved.
Mutual problems Of Public
Is fety, Commissioner Donohue
said, involve full utilization Of
the police and fire departments Of
1.-THE Washington area in times Of
Emergency.
So. many people who work In
1.-THE DlstrieteBow live in Virginia
and Maryland. often crossing
county lines as well as the District
line en- route to and from their
Jobs, that their problems cannot
be considered independently, the
Commissioner said. 5..-
He will try to organize the
luncheon conference as quickly as
the future engagements Of nearby
government officials permit, the
Commissioner said.
Bills Before Congress.
The latest move for inter-
area cooperation on mutual
problems comes on the heels Of
some other developments along
that line, including:
/. Two measures now before
Congress, one to reorganize the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission to give suburban
areas greater voice in Metro
|politan Area planning, and the
|other, by Representative Sasscer.
to establish joint commission
for the study of interjurisdic-
|tional problems.
2. A recent conference Of area
officials under the sponsorship Of
the Arlington Public Utilities
Commission to organize support
for resolutions in Congress which
call for an Interstate Commerce
Commission study Of area public
transportation problems.
3. The December conferences
which resulted in an area-wide
program for moving traffic in
snow emergencies.
4. The recently disclosed re-
ports from the Regional Highway
Planning Committee on recon-
|mended road-building projects in
the area. The far-reaching rec
concentrations for the District
and nearby Maryland have been
outlined and those for Virginia
are soon to follow.
Police Protection an Issue.
One of the thorniest problems
that could confront the proposed
Greater Washington area coun-
Gil might be the diversity Of police
protection in the various juris-
dictions.
Some of the nearby jurisdictions
have far from adequate policing
by District standards. Others
(See INTERSTATE Page A.3O