Evening star., 1953-04-09
Too Good q Bargain to Abandon

The Capper- -Cramton law was enacted
by Republican administration % years ago
this spring. 1t has been one of the major
influences in the orderly development of Wash
lngton and It's environS. Its purposes however,
have not been fully accomplished. For that
reason alone it is disturbing to learn that
abandonment or emaSculation of the law is
under consideration at the Budget Bureau A
further study of the purposes, the results and
the remaining objectives of the law should
convince the budgeting authorities of the short
sightedness of any such proposal.
It would be understandable if the Budget
Bureau recommended and Congress effected
drastic curtailment in appropriations for land
acquisition this year. The administration is
pledged by its own promises and urged by the
realities of budget balancing to cut spending
Even the relatively microscopic amounts in
volved in Capper-Cramton loans and grants
cannot claim complete immunity. There should
be at least nominal appropriations, however
as token of intent to keep alive the fine
purposes of the law.
These purposes were to assign centralized
responsibility Ito the Planning Commission)
and to make loans and grants for acquiring
land in the District and the adjacent counties
before all of it would be swallowed up by COM
merc1al development preserving and develop
Ing this land for needed recreation and parks
according to master plan. The law has made
1t possible for the people of the District, Mary
land and Virginia to plan, undertake and carry
out projects which otherwise would have been
impossible, and has served as a symbol at
nominal cost of the National Governments
vital interest in its Capital City.
Under this laws wise provisions the
Planning Commission has been able to keep
uTit1 fINn &VANo
ton and its environS in the past % yearS-a
period in which the population has increased
about $50 per cent. More than three-fourths
OF the authorized amounts for the District of
Columbia have been appropriated as loans or
advances, and most of it has already been
repaid. Recreational areas in the District have
been preserved that otherwise would have been
covered by new residential and commercial
development. The stream valleys which would
have become open drains for storm water, have
been kept as protected stretches of parks, and
this system of Stream-valley parks has been
extended into. adjoining Maryland, through
the purchase of more than 1000 acres at
cost of slightly more than half million
dollars
Federal funds for the George Washington
Memorial Parkway in Montgomery County have
been matched by Maryland or private indi-
has been acquired Arlington County will COM
plete its right-of-way buying this year, both
State and county matching Federal funds. Ex-
tension of the parkway into Fairfax County
depends only on Federal appropriations to
match county and State appropriations and
commitments.
After more than 20 years of successful CO.
operation between Maryland, Virginia and the
District in these and other undertakings with
much behind us to show the Importance of
doing what lies before us, it would be a grave
mistake for the National Government to with
draw its leadership and support. Through the
Capper- -Cramton law the Federal Government
has enjoyed the best of bargains. Most of its
outlays have been repaid. Other loans are safe
beyond question. It's small grants, in Maryland
and Virginia. have secured systematic CO.
operation that otherwise would have been
unavailable study of what has been done
under this law, and the Importance of what
remains to be done, should convince any one
that it's abandonment now by the Federal
Government is unthinkable, for reasons of
economy or anything else.