Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-30
District Citizens
Asked 10 Push
Public Works

/ A call for the citizens of WASH
lngton to review the tagging publ
lie works program here. and I'd
do something about it." wa
made today by John r. Reilly
president of the Second Nal
tional Bank.
Mr.. Reilly was a speaker bel
fore the Board of Trade bust
ness outlook conference. IN
and others who addressed th(
meeting at the Willard Hote
foresaw favorable business con
ditions for 1857. at least in thu
first half of the year.
1 Thornton w. Owen. chairman
OF the board of the Perpetual
Building Association, told TIN
meeting the Washington ares
will not see as many new house,
constructed as in 1856. But Id
said he did not believe the drol
will be as great in percentage
as in the rest of the country.
Bay E, Estes. jr., director o.
commercial research for thu
United States Steel Corp, ad
dressed the conference a
luncheon.
+ Mr.. Reilly recalled that fouI
years ago the District embarked
on 10-year program of publiJ
works expected to cost NOR
than a third of a billion dol
lars. He remarked that cost
have advanced substantially
since then.
/ He said what he rememberI
most about that effort was tina
there was not an objection to :
single item by Congress. the Fed
eral Government, the business
community or the taxpayers. ii
defray the costs. he said, take
were increased by about 10 pc
cent and the Federal payment
by nearly 100 per cent.
/ He said the citizens wer(
united behind the program whicI
he had described as tagging now
He asserted that the Distric
government now needs the sup
port of taxpayers and prominent
citiZens.
If We are going to preserv
Washington as a world center,
he said, Il urge. the Board o
Commissioners again to enlis
the support of citizens associaI
lions. businessmen representa-
enterprises small and large, AM
professional and business leaders
Leadership Urged
They can have all of thi|
talent without cost and thos
who want to preserve the down
town area will welcome the opI
portunity to serve. l suggest t
the leaders of the Washington
Board of Trade that they spear
head this movement. 1t is
project worthy of your best eff
forts"
Mr.. Reilly said that he look
upon 1857 in this area "aS
period of real adjustment to tn
economic facts of life"
For the first half of thi
year." he said. II look for a con
tinued strong upward move il
the total economy. Most sign
point to slowing down durinI
/ the second half. The overall
Should compare favorably witt
1856"
/ Mr.. Owen, discussing buildin
prospects, said that since Their
are no appreciate vacancies il
the Washington area the de
mand for mortgage money t
buy and build homes will b
high.
There is some feeling thd
mortgage interest rates may G
higher in 1857 in order to in
sure an adequate supply d
funds" he said. This 1 d
not concur in"
Mr.. Estes. who discussed chief
the situation in steel, said it
expected that the year will be
record one for steel and for tn
economy as a whole. He added
however. that before the year
over I'VE do anticipate a tempd
rary slowing down of the growt
rate of the economy and an ac
tual decline in certain segmend
of it, including steel production
Rpurkor RncLe