Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-03
Steering Group
.ToDrawAgenda
circumference
Provisional Unit
To Offer Proposals
For Area Agency
By GEORGE BEvERIDGE

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set up last night for the proposed
regional conference" of Wash
ington area governing bodies to
deal with their mutual prob
lens.
Representatives from each
jurisdiction in the area set up
a 17-man steering committee to
draw an agenda and present
more specific organizational pro-
posals to be put before the At
member Washington Metropoli-
tan Regional Conference"
District Commissioner Robert
e. Mclaughlin, who conceived the
idea Of the conference, was
named acting chairman Of the
group. which met in the District
Building.
While governing officials OF
the area have met numerous
times on specific problems. the
new organization is the first ef-
fort to form a permanent body
which will meet from time to
time on general problems brought
about by the mushroom growth
Iof the area.
Some From Capitol
The basic 47-member grour
proposed last night would be
composed Of members of the
governing, bodies Of the District
Montgomery and Prince George.
Counties in Maryland; Alexan.
dria. Falls Church and Airing.
ton and Fairfax Counties in Vir.
ginia. Q member Of the STATE
Senate and House Of Delegate:
from both Maryland and Vir.
GINA and a member from both
the House and Senate District
Committees on Capitol Hill.
The l7-member steering COM
mittee Is composed Of the three
District Commissioners, two
members each from the Mont
gomery County Council and the
Prince Georges County Commits
sioners, one member from each
of the four Virginia governing
bodies. one each from the House
and Senate District Committees
and two from both the Maryland
and Virginia legislatures.
The steering committee will
meet in the District Building al
8 pm. May l6. by which time II
is hoped each governing body
will appoint the committee
members.
To Discuss Goals
At that session, the smaller
group will discuss general goal.
and aims Of the group and at.
tempt to formulate specific mat.
tiers which may be taken UP. Tht
steering unit will meet as many
times as is necessary before tax.
ling its proposals before the gen.
eral conference.
! The organizational structure
was proposed by Charles r
Fenwick. Virginia State Senator
from Arlington. after Mrs. ANNE
Wilkinson. member Of the Fair.
fax County Board Of Supervisors
said she felt 1t was essential thai
members Of all governing bodie.
constitute the conference.
Mrs. Wilkinson said she feel.
the conference should be ''funda.
mentally q clearing house to dis.
cuss common area problems.
rather than an organization
formed to take specific actions
itself. It is at the policy leve
of government" she said, thai
such q clearing house activity \
needed to acquaint officials will
problems related to the entire
area.
Max s. wehrly. representing
Arlington County. said he feel
the group should be able to "im.
lplement with administrative
action" many Of the studies un.
der way by the new area wild,
group Of regional planners.
Would Move Slowly
Several speakers made it plain
however. that they want to move
slowly on the type and extent
Of problems attacked.
They indicated operation o.
the new group may be patterned
somewhat after q mayors con.
ference" established last veal
in New York City, composed o.
O governing ofiicial from each o.
the many county and city juris.
dictions In metropolitan New
York.
Lyle Fitch Of the Institute o,
Public Administration. WHIT
helped form the New York group
emphasized that 1t began op'
erations with a strong steerint
committee and permanent stand.
ing committees to consider spe.
cific problems. Under way fol
only several months. he said, tn,
committees have been "highl,
successful" In studying such d.
verse subjects as the minimum
legal age for drinking. transpor'
ltation. trafhc Standardization
water supply. recreation and ali
pollution.
In another talk. George H
Deming, director Of the newl,
formed Continuing Nationa
Conference on metropolitan
Problems. Of New York, described
approaches taken by varioul
cities to their metropolitan
problems.
He emphasized that sucl
moves are all pioneering effort
to cope with fast-growing urbai
regions. and that the TYNE n