Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-07
AREA Leaders
ToHear Ta|kson
Toronto Plan
BY GEORGE BEvERIDGE

MOAC VAldAL 1OO O1A1OAoA, UuoAllCool
and civic leaders will meet to-
morrow night to discuss solutions
to the metropolitan area prob
lens of Washington and its SUI
burbs.
The session, an annual dinner
meeting of the Federal City
Council, will hear a detailed
account of the ultimate ex-
pertinent in metropolitan area
|government-an experiment in
operation for three years in
Toronto, Canada.
Frederick G. Gardiner. chair
man of the Municipality of
Greater Toronto, will explain
how his city-plagued by the
regional growth ills facing all
urban areas - banded together
with IL surrounding municipali-
ties to form a single govern
mental unit.
In another address, Gov. Nc
Keldin of Maryland will discuss
the possibilities of metropolitan
government in the Nations Cap
ital.
State Lines Factor
The meeting, to be held at the
Sheraton Carlton Hotel, is one
of a number of recent moves
toward a regional approach to
the Washington areas problems.
In back of the moves is a grow
ing feeling that the problems
are those of a single community,
rather than of a collection of
individual political Jurisdictions.
Washington's problem in seek
ing the right approach, however,
Officials agree, exceeds that of
most large cities because the
area includes the jurisdictions
of two States, as well as the
Federal Government.
Thus far. transit and highway
headaches have provided the
stimulus for most of the Capt.
tails progress in regional PLAN
ming. In the forefront is the
current $400, 900 area wide trans
portation study, being conducted
by the National Capital Plan
ming Commission and the Ma
tional Capital Regional Planning
Council. In addition. the Plan
ming Commission has proposed
to the White House creation of
an area-wide commission to reg
ulate transit companies in the
area.
Regional Plan Prepared
Basis of the transportation
study recommendations will be
an extensive regional plan, SPELL
ing out land use. population
estimates and public service
needs throughout the area.
officials in each jurisdiction,
as we'll as the regional planners,
however, are just beginning to
grapple with the job of finding
machinery to carry out the plans
and provide facilities the area
needs.
Thus far. at least, there has
been little speculation that any,
thing as drastic as the Toronto
experiment could be attempted
here.
The Toronto area government,
commonly known as Metro,
developed with the failure to
provide adequate municipal serv-
ices to keep up with the mush-
rooming growth of Toronto and
its IL surrounding townships
after World War II. Some
needed water. some sewers. some
schools, some roads-and the
individual jurisdictions were I'M
able financially to provide them.
Area-Wide Government
In 1851, Toronto City applied
to the Ontario Municipal Board
for the amalgamation of the Is
municipalities into one city.
While the board has such powers
for which there is no counter
part in the United States-it re-
fused the application because the
small jurisdictions objected to
surrendering their autonomy.
Instead, a new level Of area
wide government was set up,
charged only with providing
those services which are metro
politan in nature. Powers Of a
purely local nature were left to
the municipalities.
Metro, however, has almost
complete control over the major
public services, including water
supply, sewage, roads. education.
welfare, housing and planning.
It's key is the authority to levy
taxes over the entire area and to
borrow money on the credit Of
the whole region.
The result is a billion dollar
capital outlay program over a IS
year period, which includes a
rapid-transit system. new high
ways, a vastly expanded water
and sewage system and a mas