Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-10
Six-year Term
Asked for One
Commissioner
Planners Would Let
Engineer Hold Post
Longer for Efficiency
BY GEORGE BEyERIDGE

BY GEORGE BEVERlDGE
The National Capital Re-
gional Planning Council has
voted TO ask President Eisen-
hover to establish a fiat six
year term for District Engineer
Commissioners so they will not
vanish into thin air" at the
peak OF their value in the job.
At an unusual session yester-
day. the regional council also
launched a full Pledged revolt
from its position as "step-
child" to the National Capital
Planning Commission.
Members Of the council. who
represent every jurisdiction in
washington Metro Area. indi-
Gated they may ask Congress
for their own appropriations
and the authority TO develop
their programs entirely inde-
pendently OF the National
Capital Planning Commission.
Created In 1852
Congress created the council
to deal with problems Of metro
growth In 1852 as part of q
reorganization Of the planning
commission. The planning COM
mission is the official planning
agency for the District and the
Federal Government. At that
time. the planning commission
was authorized 70 seek appro-
priations both for itself and for
the council. and for the most
part Of a Joint stan has served
both groups.
Council members made plain
yesterday that they were dis
satisfied with this arrange
ment and empowered a special
to propose "a new charter for
our role in the planning pic
ture."
The request that President
Eisenhower set a fiat six-year
term OF ONCE for the District
Engineer Commissioner was
made In a unanimously passed
resolution. proposed by Donald
Z Gingery OF Montgomery
County.
yelling Not a Participant
Council members said the
Engineer Commissioner is a
key figure in regional planning
and public works programs but
that his traditional term is SO
short that great hardships'
are worked on suburban juris-
dlctions when he leaves and is
replaced by a new man.
+ Col. A. c. yelling. who took
office as Engineer Commissioner
four months ago. now is chair
man Of the regional council.
He took no part in yesterdays
action. however. and In fact,
was not told in advance that the
matter would be raised.
When he brought the reso-
luton up. Mr.. Gingery told
Col. yelling that I'VE are going
to discuss you" and asked If
he wanted to turn over the
chairman's gavel. At first. Col.
yelling remained in his seat.
When he heard the subject,
however. he left the council
taole and declined to partici-
pate in the discussion or COM
ment on it.
Several council members
strongly Endorsed the idea OF
a longer commissioner term.
We've found that Col. We'll
ling. Gen. Thomas A. Lane,
and Gen. (Louis W. PrentisS
all have been wonderful to
deal with" Mr. Gingery said.
But the trouble is that lust
when they are most valuable
they disappear into thin air."
IS 10 81 Months
Gen. Lane preceded Col.
yelling as Engineer Commits
sioner. and served for 80
months. Gen. Prentiss preceded
Col. Lane and served for %
months. He was preceded by
Brig. Gen. Bernard Robinson.
who served only 10 months,
The two District civilian Com
miSsioners. political appointees,
serve 3-year terms.
HArland Bartholomew. chair
man Of the National Capital
Planning Commission and also
a council member. excused
himself from yesterdays ses-
sion before either the Engineer
Commissioner matter or the
planning commission regional
council relationship came up.
Mr.. Bartholomew did par
ticipate in an earlier discussion,
however. which indicated what
was In the wind.
The council instructed its
Executive Committee to pro-
pose a procedure encom-
passing more independence and
to report back next month.
The group decided 1t should
hold a night meeting after that
for the sole purpose of discuss
ing its future course.
For q Grecnbelt Park
On other matters, the coun-
Gil also:
/. Urged the National Park
Service TO take immediate steps
to preserve the large Greenbelt
tract in Prince Georges County
for eventual development as a
regional park. II put over until
the next meeting a number of
other proposals for the preser-
walton Of open spaces in the
area.
2. Decided 1t should not get
into Washington's current air.