Evening star., 1955-05-24

eA~ASAO A~A@e ANN@@oN -
building program. replacing
"pallid and piecemeal" efforts
now under way, was urged last
night to house Government
agencies in permanent quarters
and wipe out Washington's 81
eyesore tempos.
The proposal. patterned after
post World War programs, was
made by Rudolph Kaufman II,
assistant to the managing editor
of The Star to official and citi-
zen leaders attending a Con-
ference on Parks and Open
Spaces in the Hotel Statler.
Mr. Kaufman spoke at a
"gripe session." with represent
atives of various cities. present.
ing controversies affecting city
planning or park encroachment.
Nye Opposes Park Route
Gerald P. Nye. leader of a
nearby Maryland citizen group,
urged conference delegates to
unite in opposition to the pro-
posed parkway from Maryland
to Wntown Washington
through Rock Creek Park.
Mr.. Nye described the long
controversy over the inter-
county belt freeway's passage
through a Maryland portion Of
Rock Creek Park. He charged
that State officials want this
road only in order to aim "a
great highway" at the
heart of downtown Washington
and urged his audience to write
to Congress in opposition.
Hermann Hagedorn, director
of the Theodore Roosevelt AsSo-
citation, outlined the current has
sle over whether a Potomac
River bridge or tunnel should be
built from the end of Constitu-
ton avenue NV. But he neither
opposed nor supported either
project.
Other Cities Discussed
Other talks covered proposed
"encroachments" by roads or
parking garages at the Boston
Common, Cherokee Park, KY,
and San Antonio's Travis Square.
In a sharp switch from other
speakers. Stuart Constable, New
York park executive, said his city
"has no park problems" This is
due, he said, largely to the firm
hand of Robert Moses, who con-
trolls parks and good amount
of planning and highway con-
struction in New York.
Delegates today will hear
problems Of zoning, national
park development and conserva-
tion. Interior Secretary Mckay
will preside at a banquet at 7
pm, at which Senator Byrd,
Democrat, of Virginia, will speak.
Analyses Tempo Setup.
In his talk last night, Mr..
Kaufman noted that rs tempo
rary buildings were put up in
Washington during World Wars
I and II. OF the 81 still left, so
are World War II structures. he
said.
In the decade after the first
war, Mr.. Kaufman said. these
factors played big roles in re-
moving tempos:
A 48 per cent drop in Federal
employment, depression-sp spawned
public works programs, agrees
sive administration and Con-
gressional leadership, and revival
of the 1901 plan for Federal
buildings making up the pres
ent Federal Triangle.
In the 10 years since the end
of World War II. by contrast.
Mr.. Kaufman said:
l. There has been only a Is
per cent drop in Federal en-
ployment. with the cold war"
and Korean conflict demanding
high defense expenditures.
2. The Government has re-
duced it's rental of private office
building space from 7 million
square feet to IL million square
feet-lowest in % years-and
has moved most of the vacated
employees into tempos.
3. With no adequate leader
ship. proposals for a big postwar
permanent building program
have Topped.
Hitting the tempos' excessive
maintenance costs. Mr.. Kauff-
mann cited the 21,513 man-hours
of work lost last summer as an
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