GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON RULES, Wednesday, January 15, 1930.

The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. Bertrand H. Snell (chairman) presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Crampton has introduced a bill (H. R. 26), which has been reported out of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, relative to various additions to park service around the District of Columbia.

(The bill under consideration is as follows:)

[H. R. 26, Seventy-first Congress, second session]

A BILL For the acquisition, establishment, and development of the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort Washington to the Great Falls, and to provide for the acquisition of lands in the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia requisite to the comprehensive park, parkway, and playground system of the National Capital.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $7,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for acquiring and developing, except as in this section otherwise provided, in accordance with the provisions of the act of June 6, 1924, entitled "An act providing for a comprehensive development of the park and playground system of the National Capital," as amended, such lands in the States of Maryland and Virginia as are necessary and desirable for the park and parkway system of the National Capital in the environs of Washington. Such funds shall be appropriated as required for the expeditious, economical, and efficient development and completion of the following projects:

(a) The George Washington Memorial Parkway, to include the shores of the Potomac, and adjacent lands, from Mount Vernon to a point above the Great Falls on the Virginia side, except within the city of Alexandria, and from Fort Washington to a similar point above the Great Falls on the Maryland side, except within the District of Columbia, and including the protection and preservation of the natural scenery of the Gorge and the Great Falls of the Potomac, and the acquisition of that portion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The title to the lands acquired hereunder shall vest in the United States, and said lands, including the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway authorized by the Act approved May 23, 1928, upon its completion, shall be maintained and administered by the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, who shall exercise all the authority, powers, and duties with respect to lands acquired under this section as are conferred upon him within the District of Columbia by the act approved February 26, 1925; and said director is authorized to incur such expenses as may be necessary for the proper administration and maintenance of said lands within the limits of the appropriations from time to time granted therefor from the Treasury of the United States, which appropriations are hereby authorized. Said commission is authorized to occupy such lands belonging to the United States as may be necessary for the development and protection of said parkway and to accept the donation to the United States of any other lands by it deemed desirable for inclusion in said parkway. As to any lands in Maryland or Virginia along or adjacent to the shores of the Potomac within the proposed limits of the parkway that would involve great expense for their acquisition and are held by said commission not to be essential to the proper

carrying out of the project, the acquisition of said lands shall not be required, upon a finding of the commission to that effect. Said parkway shall include a highway from Fort Washington to the Great Falls on the Maryland side of the Potomac: Provided, That no money shall be expended by the United States for lands for any unit of this project until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite committments from the State of Maryland or Virginia, or political subdivision thereof or from other responsible sources for one-half the cost of acquiring the lands in its judgment necessary for such unit of said project deemed by said commission sufficiently complete, other than lands now belonging to the United States or donated to the United States: Provided further, That no money shall be expended by the United States for the construction of necessary highways on the Maryland side of the Potomac, nor for any necessary highway to connect the Highway Bridge, the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the Key Bridge on the Virginia side until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite commitments from the State of Maryland or Virginia, or political subdivisions thereof or from other responsible sources, for one-half the cost of that portion of said highways lying within any such unit of the project: Provided, That in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, upon agreement duly entered into by the State of Maryland or Virginia or any political subdivision thereof to reimburse the United States as hereinafter provided, it may advance the full amount of the funds necessary for the acquisition of the lands and the construction of said roads in any such unit referred to in this paragraph, such agreement providing for reimbursement to the United States to the extent of one-half of the cost thereof without interest within not more than five years from the date of any such expenditure.

(b) The extension of Rock Creek Park into Maryland as may be agreed upon between the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof, for the preservation of the flow of water in Rock Creek, and in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission the extension of the Anacostia park system up the valley of the Anacostia River, Indian Creek, the Northwest Branch, and Sligo Creek, and of the George Washington Memorial Parkway up the valley of Cabin John Creek, as may be agreed upon between the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof: Provided, That no money shall be expended by the United States for lands for any such extensions until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite commitments from the State of Maryland or one or more political subdivisions thereof or from other responsible sources for twothirds the cost of acquiring the lands in its judgment necessary for such unit of said extensions deemed by said commission sufficiently complete, other than lands now belonging to the United States or donated to the United States: Provided further, That in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission upon agreement duly entered into by the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof to riemburse the United States as hereinafter provided, it may advance the full amount of the funds necessary for the acquisition of the lands in any such single unit of any such extension referred to in this paragraph, such agreement providing for reimbursement to the United States to the extent of two-thirds of the cost thereof without interest within not more than five years from the date of any such expenditure. The title to the lands acquired hereunder shall vest in the United States but the development and administration thereof shall be under such local authority as shall be approved by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and in accordance with regulations approved by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The United States is not to share in the cost of construction of roads in the areas mentioned in this paragraph, except if and as Federal-aid highways, but such roads, if constructed, shall be with the approval of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and in accordance with plans duly approved by said commission.

SEC. 2. Whenever it becomes necessary to acquire by condemnation proceedings any lands in the States of Virginia or Maryland for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act, such proceedings shall conform to the laws of the State affected in force at that time in reference to Fedreal condemnation proceedings. No payment shall be made for any such lands until the title thereto in the United States shall be satisfactory to the Attorney General of the United States. SEC. 3. Whenever the use of the Forts Washington, Foote, and Hunt, or either of them, is no longer deemed necessary for military purposes they shall be turned

over to the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, without cost, for administration and maintenance as a part of the said George Washington Memorial Parkway.

SEC. 4. There is hereby further authorized to be appropriated the sum of $16,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, for the acquiring of such lands in the District of Columbia as are necessary and desirable for the suitable development of the National Capital park, parkway, and playground system, in accordance with the provisions of the said act of June 6, 1924, as amended, except as in this section otherwise provided. Such funds shall be appropriated for the fiscal year 1931 and thereafter as required for the expeditious, economical, and efficient accomplishment of the purposes of this act and shall be reimbursed to the United States from any funds in the Treasury to the credit of the District of Columbia as follows, to wit: $1,000,000 on the 30th day of June, 1931; and $1,000,000 on the 30th day of June each year thereafter until the full amount expended hereunder is reimbursed without interest. The National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall, before purchasing any lands hereunder for playground purposes, request from the Commissioners of the District of Columbia a report thereon.

[House Report No. 55, Seventy-first Congress, second session]

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 26) for the acquisition, establishment, and development of the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort Washington to the Great Falls, and to provide for the acquisition of lands in the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia requisite to the comprehensive park, parkway, and playground system of the National Capital, having considered the same, report same back with a certain amendment with the recommendation that the amendment be agreed to and that the bill when so amended do pass.

The amendment is to insert in line 11 on page 2, after the word "Potomac," the words "and adjacent lands."

The bill with the amendment recommended by the committee is as follows: "A BILL For the acquisition, establishment, and development of the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac from Mount Vernon and Fort Washington to the Great Falls, and to provide for the acquisition of lands in the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia requisite to the comprehensive park, parkway, and playground system of the National Capital

“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $7,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for acquiring and developing, except as in this section otherwise provided, in accordance with the provisions of the act of June 6, 1924, entitled 'An act providing for a comprehensive development of the park and playground system of the National Capital,' as amended, such lands in the States of Maryland and Virginia as are necessary and desirable for the park and parkway system of the National Capital in the environs of Washington. Such funds shall be appropriated as required for the expenditious, economical, and efficient development and completion of the following projects:

(a) The George Washington Memorial Parkway, to include the shores of the Potomac, and adjacent lands from Mount Vernon to a point above the Great Falls on the Virginia side, except within the city of Alexandria, and from Fort Washington to a similar point above the Great Falls on the Maryland side, except within the District of Columbia, and including the protection and preservation of the natural scenery of the Gorge and the Great Falls of the Potomac, and the acquisition of that portion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The title to the lands acquired hereunder shall vest in the United States, and said lands, including the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway authorized by the act approved May 23, 1928, upon its completion, shall be maintained and administered by the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital, who shall exercise all the authority, powers, and duties with respect to lands acquired under this section as are conferred upon him within the District of Columbia by the act approved February 26, 1925; and said director is authorized to incur such expenses as may be necessary for the proper administration and maintenance of said lands within the limits of the appropriations from time

to time granted therefor from the Treasury of the United States, which appropriations are hereby authorized. Said commission is authorized to occupy such lands belonging to the United States as may be necessary for the development and protection of said parkway and to accept the donation to the United States of any other lands by it deemed desirable for inclusion is said parkway. As to any lands in Maryland or Virginia along or adjacent to the shores of the Potomac within the proposed limits of the parkway that would involve great expense for their acquisition and are held by said commission not to be essential to the proper carrying out of the project, the acquisition of said lands shall not be required, upon a finding of the commission to that effect. Said parkway shall include a highway from Fort Washington to the Great Falls on the Maryland side of the Potomac: Provided, That no money shall be expended by the United States for lands for any unit of this project until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite commitments from the State of Maryland or Virginia, or political subdivisions thereof or from other responsible sources for one-half the cost of acquiring the lands in its judgment necessary for such unit of said project deemed by said commission sufficiently complete, other than lands now belonging to the United States or donated to the United States: Provided further, That no money shall be expended by the United States for the construction of necessary highways on the Maryland side of the Potomac, nor for any necessary highway to connect the Highway Bridge, the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the Key Bridge on the Virginia side until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite commitments from the State of Maryland or Virginia, or political subdivisions thereof or from other responsible sources, for one-half the cost of that portion of said highways lying within any such unit of the project: Provided, That in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, upon agreement duly entered into by the State of Maryland or Virginia or any political subdivision thereof to reimburse the United States as hereinafter provided, it may advance the full amount of the funds necessary for the acquisition of the lands and the construction of said roads in any such unit referred to in this paragraph, such agreement providing for reimbursement to the United States to the extent of one-half of the cost thereof without interest within not more than five years from the date of any such expenditure.

"(b) The extension of Rock Creek Park into Maryland as may be agreed upon between the National Capital Park and Planning Čommission and the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof, for the preservation of the flow of water in Rock Creek, and in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission the extension of the Anacostia park system up the valley of the Anacostia River, Indian Creek, the Northwest Branch, and Sligo Creek, and of the George Washington Memorial Parkway up the valley of Cabin John Creek, as may be agreed upon between the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof: Provided, That no money shall be expended by the United States for lands for any such extensions until the National Capital Park and Planning Commission shall have received definite commitments from the State of Maryland or one or more political subdivisions thereof or from other responsible sources for twothirds the cost of acquiring the lands in its judgment necessary for such unit of said extensions deemed by said commission sufficiently complete, other than lands now belonging to the United States or donated to the United States: Provided further, That in the discretion of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission upon agreement duly entered into by the State of Maryland or any political subdivision thereof to reimburse the United States as hereinafter provided, it may advance the full amount of the funds necessary for the acquisition of the lands in any such single unit of any such extension referred to in this paragraph, such agreement providing for reimbursement to the United States to the extent of two-thirds of the cost thereof without interest within not more than five years from the date of any such expenditure. The title to the lands acquired hereunder shall vest in the United States but the development and administration thereof shall be under such local authority as shall be approved by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and in accordance with regulations approved by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The United States is not to share in the cost of construction of roads in the areas mentioned in this paragraph, except if and as Federal-aid highways, but such roads, if constructed, shall be with the approval of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and in accordance with plans duly approved by said commission.