that is proper. I wish, Mr. Cramton, you would briefly tell the committee what your bill does and why it is necessary to take it up out of its logical order at this time.

STATEMENT OF HON. LOUIS C. CRAMTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

Mr. CRAMTON. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I realize the pressure of time upon you. I have all the time that the committee has. But I will endeavor to give you, not an argumentat least just now-but first a picture, very condensed and concise, of what the existing law is; second, what my bill proposes; and, third, the emergency that I think confronts us. And I hope to take even less time than that preliminary statement might indicate.

We have a National Capital Park and Planning Commission created by legislation in 1924 and in 1926. That National Capital Park and Planning Commission was created-I quote the law very briefly from the amendatory act of April 30, 1926

To develop a comprehensive, consistent and coordinated plan for the National Capital and its environs in the States of Maryland and Virginia; to preserve the flow of water in Rock Creek; to prevent pollution of Rock Creek and the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers; to preserve forests and natural scenery in and about Washington; to provide for the comprehensive, systematic, and continuous development of the park, parkway, and playground systems of the National Capital and its environs.

That is the declaration of Congress as to what this planning commission should do.

That planning commission has this authority under existing law, the original act of June 6, 1924:

It is authorized and directed

These are the policies that Congress has laid down already

It is authorized and directed to acquire such lands as, in its judgment, shall be necessary and desirable in the District of Columbia and adjacent areas in Maryland and Virginia, within the limits of appropriations made for such purposes. for suitable development of the National Capital park, parkway and playground systems.

They have the authority now to buy lands, within the limits of appropriations, in the District and in Maryland and Virginia.

When it comes to Maryland and Virginia, they are authorized to make such arrangements as to acquisition and payment for the lands as they shall determine upon by agreement with the proper officials of the States of Maryland and Virginia. We leave it to the commission to determine the basis of the contribution of Maryland and Virginia.

Then we have this provision:

The designation of all lands to be acquired by condemnation, all contracts for purchase of land, and all agreements between said commission and the officials of the States of Maryland and Virginia shall be subject to the approval of the President of the United States.

Under that authority, under that direction of Congress, this commission started its work. The commission consists of Mr. Frederic A. Delano, of the District of Columbia; Mr. William A. Delano, of New York; Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted, of Massachusetts and California; Mr. J. C. Nichols, of Kansas City; Major

Stuart, the head of the Forest Service; Mr. H. M. Albright, the head of the Park Service; Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown, Chief of Engineers; Senator Capper, chairman of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia; Representatives Zihlman, chairman of House Committee on the District of Columbia; and Colonel Grant as its executive officer.

You will note that they are very distinguished men from all parts of the United States. I think Mr. Delano is the only one actually a resident of the District.

They went to work. They have formulated their plans, quite definitely, as to lands in the District of Columbia, and in a general way as to lands outside the District of Columbia.

They estimated several years ago the cost of the acquisition of lands in the District. The money that we are appropriating each year is less than the annual increase in the value of those lands. Hence they are actually making no progress toward the 100 per cent accomplishment of their aims.

That situation, further, as to lands outside the District, in the absence of any declaration by Congress as to the nature of the contribution that should be required from Maryland and Virginia, and the lack of any appropriations for that purpose, resulted in nothing being done as to lands outside the District, although movements were definitely under way in Maryland and Virginia seeking to cooperate. Hence, after a study of over a year and conference with parties interested, I drafted this bill, and in the most concise fashion, I will state what this bill does.

It is built on the legislation to which I have referred. It is, in the briefest terms, an effort to put into effect the plans that have been formulated by this National Capital Park and Planning Commission by direction of Congress.

It has two main divisions. First as to lands in the District of Columbia: Their estimate of a year ago was that those lands would cost $15,750,000. We are now appropriating from funds of the District of Columbia, including such contribution as we make to the expenses of the District, $1,000,000 a year for their purchase. They are going up in value at least 10 per cent a year. That is to say, we are spending a million dollars and the annual increase in value is $1,600,000. The question is, how long will it take for us to acquire that fifteen or sixteen million dollars worth of land? The answer is that we will spend twenty-five or thirty million dollars at least, and in the meantime will lose these scenic areas that can not be reproduced, because they are the very areas that the development of Washington is now encroaching upon-the wooded ravines, and so forth.

Now, what I propose is this: I make no change in the charge of cost of acquiring these lands against the funds of the District of Columbia, with such contribution as we make generally to the expenses of the District; but in order that we may get these lands before they are despoiled of their trees and their beauty, and in order that we may get them at somewhere near the estimated cost, I provide here for their acquisition as expeditiously as may be, and that funds be provided for that purpose. It is thought that in any event it will be 3 or 4 or 5 years before the whole program can be put through, with the necessities of different proceedings.

We provide for the financing in this way: That the Federal Treasury shall advance $16,000,000 for this purpose as needed in the next three or four years. That $16,000,000 shall be repaid to the Federal Treasury, without interest, at the rate of $1,000,000 a year for the next 16 years.

Now, when you come to the matter of beautifying the National Capital, or any matter where the interests of the people in the Capital and the interests of the Nation come along together, you can get a good hot controversy about how the expense should be divided. The effort of this bill has been to work out something reasonable; so reasonable that both schools of thought could agree upon it; and I have been so successful that this bill has been indorsed by all the District organizations that have acted upon it. The Federation of Citizens' Associations, the board of trade, the playgrounds committee and the park committee of the chamber of commerce, the board of governors, Merchants and Manufacturers Association, the Parent-Teachers' Congress, the Women's City Club, the Citizens' Advisory Council, the Commissioners of the District, numerous citizens' associations and parent-teachers' associations, the Budget, as well as the planning commission, all are indorsing this measure.

In the Nation it is indorsed by the American Civic Association, the Garden Club of America, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Institute of Architects, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, and numerous local and state organizations as well as many officials and individuals of prominence.

It is proposed to advance the money without interest because the Nation has such an interest in this beautification of the Capital that it seemed to me that if the $16,000,000 is to be repaid to us, all at the expense of the District, except as we contribute in our lump-sum contribution, it is only fair for the Federal Treasury to make that advance without interest. We do it in other cases.

That is for the District. While the bill authorizes the appropriations amounting to $16,000,000 to be made in the next three or four years, all that $16,000,000 eventually comes back to the Treasury of the United States.

The CHAIRMAN. The only obligation as far as the District is concerned, in this legislation, is in the advance of the money?

Mr. CRAMTON. The advance of the money is the only thing. It is to make effective this program already worked out by the planning commission.

I may say this: People come to me about this project or that. I have refused to interest myself in any of these projects. We have a planning commission, and all I am trying to do is to give them the machinery to carry their plans into operation.

Now, outside the District, the bill has two main divisions, all in accord with the directions that we gave the planning commission five years ago. I will discuss those two divisions.

Let me take first the one that I rate as the lesser in importance, but which nevertheless is of great importance. That is the possible extension of Rock Creek and Anacostia Parks up into Maryland.

Rock Creek is being destroyed. The stream flow is lessening with the rapid development of adjacent areas in Maryland, which results. in the cutting away of trees and forests and the construction of arti

ficial drainage. And when the time comes, if it ever does come, when Rock Creek ceases to be, you have destroyed Rock Creek Park. So we have a great interest there.

At the same time the people of Maryland are very keenly interested in the development of the park area up through there. They are ready to cooperate.

This bill provides that the planning commission may work out needed extensions of Rock Creek Park and Anacostia Park into Maryland for the purpose of protecting the stream flow, and so forth, as well as prevening pollution; that those lands may be purchased, one-third of the cost to come from the Treasury of the United States and two-thirds from the State of Maryland or political subdivisions thereof, or individual contributions. We will contribute one-third of the cost. But because those political subdivisions can only raise limited amounts of money in annual taxation, and because it is an emergency-there is not much use in buying those lands after the trees are cut away and development comes-because there is an emergency, we again provide for an advance from the Federal Treasury of 100 per cent of the cost of acquiring those lands, but only after the commission has been assured by some competent authority, State or local, that two-thirds of the cost will inside of five years. come back to the Federal Treasury.

The CHAIRMAN. That is included in the $7,000,000 proposition? Mr. CRAMTON. That is part of the $7,000,000.

As to the extension of Rock Creek and Anacostia Parks, we will eventually only be charged with one-third of the cost, and the maintenance of those areas will be borne by Maryland, but under rules approved by the planning commission.

Now, while that is important, I think the other part is still more so, namely, the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort Washington to Great Falls. That has in view the preservation of the banks of the Potomac from Mount Vernon, where Washington was born, along the Potomac, which he loved, through the Capital city which he founded, to Great Falls, where he carried on his industrial dreams-all so intimately associated with George Washington, and all right here next to the Capital. The time has gone by-it passed when the automobile arrived-when any city can necessarily confine its park development or its beautification program to its own boundaries; and Congress recognized that when they told the commission to go into these environs of Washington.

The banks of the Potomac from Washington to Great Falls are of peculiar beauty. They are of outstanding scenic importance, and no dream of a beautiful capital is complete without the inclusion of those banks of the Potomac. But they are being encroached uponlargely now the palisades above here by blasting, taking away of rock, and so forth. Then, when you come to Great Falls, of course that is a highly important scenic area.

Now, different people are much interested in this project. Offers of contributions of land are before the commission now-lands to be desired. But until Congress lays down some program for cooperation, the commission does not feel justified in going ahead. So my proposition is this: That they be authorized to acquire the banks of

the Potomac from Mount Vernon to Great Falls, except in the District of Columbia and in the city of Alexandria. The part in the District of Columbia comes within the local park program, otherwise provided for, and the lands in Alexandria are a problem that Alexandria will have to work out.

I propose the acquisition of the lands except in the District and in Alexandria; half of the cost to be borne by the Federal Treasury and half of the cost by the States of Maryland and Virginia, or subdivisions thereof, or individuals.

There is authority, for the same reasons that I have mentioned in the other Maryland matter, for the Federal Treasury to advance 100 per cent of the money necessary, to be repaid in five years, without interest, by the States or subdivisions or individuals.

Now, before the planning commission can proceed to buy any lands on this parkway that I am speaking of, on the Potomac, they must have received definite assurances of such repayment of half the cost from some of these organizations. But I do not make that stipulation so broad as to require assurance of contribution of half the cost of the whole project before they can buy anything. That would hardly be desirable. The bill authorizes the commission to divide the project into suitable units, "deemed by said commission sufficiently complete," and provides that when cooperation is offered, in accordance with the terms of the bill, as to the lands in a particular unit, then they may proceed.

For instance, on the Virginia side of the Potomac from the District. to Great Falls, we have part of those palisades, the Virginia palisades. Supposing that Maryland does not offer to cooperate, or we do not get cooperation farther down, but that cooperation is offered on that area of the palisades on the Virginia side, then I want them to be able to go ahead with that, and possibly the other sections will develop later.

Mr. MICHENER. Right there, may I ask a question?
Mr. CRAMTON. Yes.

Mr. MICHENER. Assuming that you divide this project into units, as the bill provides, and the commission proceeds to purchase units, might it not be that we would have a unit here and a unit there, with a large space in between, and the $7,000,000 expended, so that we would be required to appropriate $7,000,000 more to take care of some more units? In other words, the $7,000,000 here does not necessarily provide the purchase price for the entire area?

Mr. CRAMTON. This is the situation: The $7,000,000 was the best estimate that the planning commission could give me as to the probable cost.

The CHAIRMAN. Does that include the whole thing, on both sides of the river?

Mr. CRAMTON. Both sides; our half of it. The $7,000,000 was the best estimate they could give me as to half of the cost of getting the lands on the Potomac and one-third of the cost of those other lands in Maryland. This bill gives no authority for anything beyond that. If the $7,000,000 proves insufficient and they can not act without appropriations there can only be further appropriations by further authorization of Congress.

The CHAIRMAN. My purpose in asking that question was this. Ofttimes in cities, for instance, where it is contemplated to take a