Evening star., 1953-04-24
Bea||, Butler
Spark Driivefor
Park Funds
$155,000 Also
Is Sought for.
Planning Agency
By George Beveridqe

AVAIL yAdA1O . 3OCpuD14Cdu Oc11d.
tors Beall and Butler have
spanked drive to provide funds
next year for regional planning
attack on Washington problems
and to breathe life back into
the Capper-Cramton Act"
The Senator's, along with area
planning officials, urged a Sem
ate Appropriations subcommittee
yesterday to partially restore
House committee cuts in the Ma
tional Capital Planning Com
mission budget. Specifically,
they asked:
/. A total of $155. 900 for OPP
Grating expenses for the year
starting July /. The Budget Bu-
reau came up with this figure
after trimming the Truman bud
get, but the House Appropria-
tionS Committee slashed it fur
ther to $97,915.
2. A token appropriation of
$365,0O0 toward Maryland and
Virginia park expansion under
the Capper-Cramton Act. The
Budget Bureau denied request
for such funds totaling ST.
250,00O.
NCPC Chairman Joseph D.
Lohman testified that the $685.
900 would permit staff increase
from Is to % people. This, he
said, is mot really adequate" I"
But it would permit enough staff
work on projects of the new Ma
tional Capital Regional Planning
Council to at least get the coun-
Gil out of "its amateur status"
Task Assigned.
The council, made up of area
planners. was charged by Con-
gress last year with meeting
regional problems. 1t was con-
templated that NCPC staff
members would provide tech
nical help. Unless the increased
funds are approved, mot a penny
would be provided to get the
council started" DR.. Lohman
said. He added:
"The members of the council
serve without pay and are busy
men in their own bailiwicks. I
doubt very much that they would
consent to sacrificing their time
without reasonable staff assist
ance.
In short, this carefully con-
trived system of regional CO.
operation is in danger of falling
apart for want of $57,085."
Senator Butler. in a statement,
declared the operating increase
''is trivial in comparison to the
Importance of getting this re-
gional council off to a strong
start"
Senator Beall, meanwhile.
stressed that Budget bureau
regulations forbid NCPC Off
cials from asking for Capper-
Cramton Act funds denied by
the bureau. The funds, under
the 23-year-old act. are used
as loans and grants to be
matched by State money for
park development.
$365,O00 Token.
The Budget Bureau had re-
fused to ask Congress for a re-
quested $3.50, 900 for this pur-
pose next year. Instead, Senator
Beall and r. NJ. Watkins, chair
man of the Maryland-National
Capitol Park and Planning Com
mission, yesterday asked for the
token $365, 900 amount.
The amount would include
$265 900 to extend six park prof.
ects already under way in nearby
Maryland and 100000 to buy
about a mile of land beyond the
Arlington-Fairfax line for the
proposed George Washington
Memorial Parkway. The NCPC
already has money to buy land
up to the county lines.
Senator Beall pointed out that
no Capper-Cramton money for
Maryland and Virginia has been
appropriated during the last two
years. He said the Budget
Bureaus denial of funds again
this year-and concurrence of
the House Appropriations Com
mittee-haS seriously raised the
question of whether the Capper-
Cramton Act should be re-
pealed."
THE regional council" he de-
clared, "haS reached the conclu-
sion that an appropriation of
$685., 900 for emergency projects
would breathe life back into the
Capper-Cramton Act.
THE Capper-Cramton Act has
produced great benefits during
the last % years. We must not
lose it through failure to UNDER
stand the threat to it which now
exists"