Evening star., 1960-12-26
BY GEORGE WILSON
star sta6 Writer

With the care Of someone
building a ship in a bottle. Earl
Newkirk is putting together for |
the Federal City Council q chart
sure to be q conversation piece
in the S7th Congress.
The chart is a step-by-step
history Of Washington'S urban
renewal program. Each step is
dated. The months between
the dates show mercilessly the
length Of delays in carrying out
the urban renewal plans.
Mr.. Newkirk, former assist
ant director of PittSburgh's Re-
development Authority. as part
Of his study examines in detail
many Of these points or delap.
Here-again like the model
maker he works back through
the bottleneck and reconstructs
the situation.
All this is part of an unusual
Job being done by an unusual
organization working inside ur-
ban renewal.
Private Survey
The job is unusual because
1t amounts to an investigation
Congress asked q private group
to do for 1t. The House request
is believed to be the first of its
type ever made Of a business
group like the Federal City
Council.
The council study-includ-
ing o chart and a set of rec
concentrations on how the
city's urban machinery could
be improved-will be handed
over to the House District
Committee next year. The ma
terial may well form the basis
for urban renewal legislation.
The fact that the council
took on the job in the first
place illustrates the unusual
nature Of the organization. Why
should a group Of businessmen
pay outside conSultants to
conduct q study which will not
show up directly in any mem
Der firms profit ledger?
This same organization
which works quietly behind
the scenes-hired an architect
to draw UP q Washington
waterfront plan because it did
not like the way urban renewal
agencies were proceeding with
the Job; helped break the bot
tleneck holding up construc-
ton Of the Theodore Roosevelt
Bridge: got the loan which
launched urban renewal in
Southwest Washington, and
helped pay for the study which
triggered the effort now under
way to revitalize' the city'S
central shopping area.
Challenge In Capital
George A. Garrett. chairman
Of the council, comedies these
are unusual activities for q
business organization - espe-
cially' when the headquarters
Of several Of the firms repre-
Sented in the membership are
outside Washington. But he
adds that Washington itself is.
an unusual city In need Of
unusual support.
Declaring that the members,
Of Congress who comprise
Washington's city council often
cannot pay adequate attention
to city problems. Mr.. Garrett
said this underscoreS the chal-
lenge Of creating an awareness
across America that Washing
ton is the responsibility Of all
citizens, regardless Of their
State and county. No American
can afford to see our Capital
decline into q second or third
rate city"
So in short-although lead
erS shy away from the term
the Federal City Council is a
lobby with prestige. bent on
getting help for Washington.
The council uses a rife shot
approach, setting down a few
objectives and working on them
until they are achieved. A four
member full-time staff, headed
by @. Yates Cook, directs and
co-ordinates the campaign
from an ofiice at 1925 K street
NV.
The 81 members Of the or
ganization, each Of whom pays