Evening star., 1958-07-09
Stress on Industry
Urged at Hearing
Fuirfux Witness
Hits Trend to
'Underemphosis'

A congressional committee
today was warned that there is
a tendency to underemphasize
the need for Industrial devel-
opment of the Washington
Metropolitan Area.
The warning was given by
Spokesmen for Fairfax County
business interests before the
Joint Committee on Washing
ton Metropolitan Problems, in
contradiction to recommended
tions made yesterday by other
witnesses from Maryland and
the District.
Representative Hyde, Repub-
lican of Maryland, presided over
today's session, the second Of
three days of hearings on the
economic aspects of Metropoli-
tan Area problems.
Cites 2 Handicaps
william B. Wrench, executive
director of the Fairfax County
Economic and Industrial De-
velopment Committee, said he
believes there are two handi-
caps in achieving the goals out
lined in a recent report of the
Joint Committee on Economic
Problems here.
"One." Mr.. Wrench said, "iS
the outright opposition to any
business or industrial activity
in the Washington area, based
on emotional consideration not
founded on fact or experience,
and the other is just pure
lethargy on the part of many
in the business community
toward an effort which will be
beneficial to ALL"
Caution Urged
John Cover. director of the
University of Maryland Bureau
of Business and Economic Re-
search, warned yesterday that
Metropolitan Area governments
should proceed very cautiously
in Turing industry.
He did not, however, rule out
such industries as research
laboratories.
Mr.. Wrench said his views
were his own and not neces-
sarily those of the group he
represents.
Il would strongly urge" he
said, that, if it be decided
that the Federal Government
should engage in an economic
program and if this program
were to be placed under the
machinery of the official re-
gional planning agency, meth
odS be devised to see that the
vital functions of the economic
development program which
are promotional in nature not
be Subordinated to the PLAN
ming activities. but be pursued
with diligence"
He said he thought the Fed
eral Government should take
over such an economic devel-
opment program.
"The work of your commit
tee," he went on, should be
considered a success if it is
able to do no more than en-
.phasize the findings of the staff
study lin the report, namely
that. not only is industry COM
patible with the concept of the
monumental Federal City, but
it is necessary for its realiza-
ton"
Report Lauded
Charles j. Harnett, president
of the Fairfax County Cham
Der Of Commerce, lauded the
committees report on eco
nomic conditions, issued about
two weeks ago But, he added,
1t appears to give insufficient
weight to the impact of the
projected airport at Chantilly
which, with net of interstate
highways, will constitute the
front door to the Nations Cap
itol."
Your committee" Mr.. Har-
nett continued, has painted a
picture of a merging Balti-
more Washington. Industrial
governmental metrop olitan
complex. Accepting this as an
accurate forecast, we believe
greater emphasis should be
placed upon development Of
the main approach to the gov
ernmental center, where Cham
tilly promises to be the union
station of the future. =.
you have indicated the
probability of many new towns
being established in the ex-
panding suburban area. We
view with concern the tendency
toward jurisdictional fragmen-
tation in an attempt to gain
local autonomy at the expense
of sound and economical long
range development. This has
proven disastrous in other
ImetrOpO1itan areas