Evening star., 1953-09-20
Board OF Trade
Seeks TO- Avoid
.BusiinessLag
Develops Plan
To Head Off Sag
In Economic Boom
In Economic Boom

Inc washington Board of
Trade yesterday announced a
five-point program for further
ing business and municipal gov
ernment progress in the coming
year.
Harry L. Merrick, president,
said the directors have approved
extensive efforts to:
/ /. Attract new business to the
Metropolitan Area.
2. Increase aids to business.
3. Develop the Metropolitan
Area as an economic entity, "one
Of the two fastest-growing in
the Nation"
4. Help solve the Governments
growing financial and plant
sufhciency problems.
5. Campaign nationally to get
national representation for the
District.
Committee Action.
The board program was for
mulated by a special committee
on planning activities, headed by
Edward r. Carr, second vice
president.
The committee took note that
after a 20-year period of greater
employment, increased popula-
ton, business volume and build
ing booms. the area has reached
a period of readjustment. Under
the present administrations poll
icies, the beginning of a "lev-
eling-off" seems indicated, the
committee report stated.
"There are continued disquiet-
ing rumors concerning the num-
ber of Federal workers in this
area to be removed from Gov
ernment payrolls," the report
declared. "We must take every
step possible to assure that pri-
vate employment opportunities
will be found to offset reduc-
tions which may take place in
Government"
Also, the committee noted ex-
istence of feeling of uncer-
tainty and pessimism" that leads
residents to hold onto their
money except for expenditures
on essentials.
Shift to Suburbs.
Directing it's attention to the
District government, the commit
tee found a serious fiscal prob
lem" accented by the shift OF
business to the suburbs which
cuts local business volume, hence
tax revenues.
AS part of the program to in
duce new businesses into the
area and expand payrolls, the
committee recommended inten-
styling the work of the Greater
National Capital Committee to
bring tourists and conventions
! here.
Since there is or will soon be
ample modern office building
space, continuing campaign
to bring branch Offices of ma
tlonal corporations and aSSocia-
tions to Washington should be
undertaken. the committee said.
These groups" said the re-
port, place little strain on NUM-
cipal services, have above-aver-
age salary personnel and would
effectively complement the Fed
eral payroll while diversifying
local earning sources"
Light Industries Needed.
Washington and particularly"
the nearby counties also need
appropriate" light industries
to balance the areas economy,
the report said. A long overdue
survey of the Metropolitan Area
by urban land economists should
be undertaken, if not by the
Government, by the Board of
| Trade.
On increasing help to private
business, the committee called
for more orderly" development
OF suburban areas, pointed par
ticularly at the pressing problem
which faced the downtown buSi-
ness area. Carefully prepared
promotion campaigns, it said,
should be made for the overall
business area. but with special
stress on the downtown section.
The report urged that addi-
tional off-street parking facili-
ties be provided and a more ef-
I:fective plan devised to smooth
the traffic flow. This work should
be expedited in the committees
view.
/ Second Airfield Urged.
For the betterment Of the area
as whole, the committee urged
efforts to obtain increased pass
enger airfield facilities either at
Andrews Air Force Base or at
Burke, Va.
Rehabilitation of slums through
organized civic and business &C
tion was deemed essential" and
the report said the board should
work for strict enforcement of
existing health and sanitary laws
and determine what, if any, ad-
ditional laws are needed to
| tighten enforcement.
To "revitalize" the District
budget. efforts should be con-
tinued to convince Congress of
the need for the proposed &3J2
million long-range public works
improvement program and to get
an increase in the Federal share
stated.