appropriation. Since the State legislature does not meet until next January, the Fairfax authorities have decided to defer the entire matter until the following fiscal year. On the other hand, both the president of the Fairfax County board and members of the Fairfax County Park Authority have assured us that they expect to secure valuable donations of privately owned land for the George Washington Memorial Parkway during the fiscal year 1952. By the terms of the Capper-Cramton Act, such donations by private owners are credited as Virginia contributions and are expected to be matched by Federal funds. Potential donors are aware of this stipulation and will not be inclined to donate their land unless the Federal matching contribution is awailable and forthcoming. Furthermore, the Fairfax authorities fear that the prospective donors, one of whom is the Potomac Electric Power Co., will change their minds if the representatives of the United States (in this case, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission) are not able to act without delay. We therefore request that the Congress allow an appropriation of $100,000 for purposes of matching private contributions. Under ideal conditions, we would also like to have the other $100,000 in order to stimulate favorable action by the Virginia Legislature. However, in view of the altered circumstances in Fairfax County, it would appear that a reduction of $100,000 in this fund would cause less damage to the general program than equivalent reductions under either of the other two sections. Section 1 (b). Extension of the District parkway system into adjoining Maryland.The estimate of $795,000 requested was prepared in collaboration with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission under terms of the basic agreement authorized by the Capper-Cramton Act. The Maryland Commission has represented to us, as they have in previous years, the continued urgency of extending its land-acquisition program beyond the certain spread of private development. While we believe their concern over the danger to the interruption of the basic program is valid, we nevertheless asked the Maryland Commission to review the situation in the light of the committee's request. separate report, with their conclusions, is being submitted to the committee by the Maryland Commission. A Section 4. District of Columbia parks and playgrounds. The committee did not question the amount of the estimates for acquisitions in the District which are wholly reimbursable by the District. This year's estimate of $155,000 is, with one exception, the lowest of any in the 15 years since 1930 that any appropriation was made. The three items submitted in the Commission's estimates were chosen by the District Commissioners from a much longer list prepared by the Commission. Two involve small areas of largely vacant land which may not longer remain vacant, and one involves an in-town playground for small children living in a congested neighborhood. The latter project, estimated to cost $80,000, could be deferred without probably increased cost but at the expense of postponing the provision of very sorely needed recreation facilities. There has been insufficient time to determine whether the District Commissioners would concur in this conclusion. Please let me add one other item of supplementary information. A question was raised about the amount of our unobligated balance as of July 1, 1950. This has now been reduced substantially so that as of February 28, 1951, our unobligated balance are as follows: Sec. 1 (a). $53, 564. 61 331, 397. 41 356, 840. 69 Against section 1 (a) is an obligation on July 1 to match $50,000 to be made available by Arlington County and the State of Virginia. As explained in the testimony, more than $330,000 remaining unobligated under section 1 (b) is under negotiation with the Maryland Commission and is expected to be obligated by agreement about the end of the current fiscal year. The balance of about $350,000 for acquisitions within the District of Columbia is the smallest carry-over we have had in any year for a long time, and the major part of it is expected to be obligated by condemnations to be filed with the Department of Justice within the next few months. Senator CORDON. I believe in the thing being done, but there comes a time when you cannot do it. Mr. NOLEN. We thought we had an unusual point in that we had as much coming in as we were asking for. Senator ELLENDER. You got the money originally on the assumption that you would get it back, and now you are advancing the argument that you are getting it back and want more money. Thank you very much, gentlemen. The subcommittee will stand in recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (The following additional information was supplied pursuant to discussions during the foregoing hearing:) Hon. BURNET R. MAYBANK, THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL Chairman, Subcommittee on Independent Offices, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In accordance with the suggestion made by Senator Ellender and Senator Cordon at the conclusion of the hearing on April 9, this Commission submits this statement relative to the item of $795,000 for the acquisition of park lands in Maryland under section 1b of the Capper-Cramton Act as amended. The Congress of the United States in the enactment of the act in 1930 recognized the fact that the National Capital region necessarily embraces the area in Maryland adjacent to the District of Columbia which is incorporated as the MarylandWashington Metropolitan District. It consists of the most populous portions of Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties. The act provides for the extension of the park system of the Nation's Capital into this area through cooperative action by the United States and Maryland whereunder the United States contributes one-third of the cost of such acquisitions and Maryland contributes twothirds. Due to the Federal Government's interest in the establishment and development of the park system of the Nation's Capital, the Maryland contribution was authorized to be advanced as a loan by the Federal Government for 8 years without interest. Two-thirds of the appropriations made in each year were therefore to be repaid. This repayment by the Commission as the designated agency of the State of Maryland has been made in each instance at the end of the 8-year period. Notwithstanding the depression and the Second World War, there has thus far been appropriated by Congress $2,558,300 of the total of $4,500,000 authorized by the act. Of the total thus far appropriated, the sum of $866,000 has been repaid on or before the due date, and Maryland's two-thirds of the balance of the amounts appropriated and to be appropriated will be repaid in like manner. These appropriations by fiscal years are as follows: Thus, pursuant to Federal and Maryland enabling legislation, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission acting for the United States, and this Commission acting for Maryland have entered into a so-called basic agreement dated November 19, 1931, which was approved by the President of the United States and by the Governor of Maryland, respectively, and which constitutes a formal contractual obligation of the United States and the State of Maryland insuring the ultimate completion of the park system of the Nation's Capital as contemplated by the act and as agreed to by the National Commission and this Commission, respectively. This basic agreement and agreements amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto establish the methods and procedures for determination of the precise location and extent of the lands to be acquired, their joint ap There is submitted herewith the map which was exhibited informally by the general counsel of this Commission to your committee at the time of the hearing and which shows the general park plan for the Maryland-Washington Metropolitan District, the establishment, acquisition, and development of which is contemplated by the Capper-Cramton Act as above outlined. As you will note, this CapperCramton park system is composed of the several stream valley parks such as Rock Creek, Sligo Creek, Northwest Branch, Anacostia River, etc., which flow from Maryland into the District of Columbia. These stream valley parks which have thus far been acquired or are in process of acquisition are designated on the map by units such as, for example, Rock Creek Park unit Nos. 1, 2, 3, etc., and on each unit an agreement supplementary to the basic agreement has been executed by the National Commission and this Commission in the manner above outlined. As you will note from the legend, the several units of this park system which have thus far been completely acquired are shown in solid green; the several park units which have been established and are now in process of acquisition from present appropriations are shown by a red outline within which appears in lighter green the portions, title to which has actually become vested and the remainder of which red outlined area will be acquired from the appropriations thus far made. The critical areas designated as further units and which are proposed to be acquired with the appropriation requested by the National Commission and this Commission only a portion of which has been approved by the budget, are shown in the purple outline. There is shown in plain yellow color the remainder of the Capper-Cramton park system which has been approved by the two Commissions as shown by the attesting signatures of the respective Chairmen and the Secretaries of the Federal and State agencies, respectively. In accordance with the provisions of the Maryland statute this approved park plan has also been transmitted to the respective clerks of the circuit courts of the two Maryland counties to be recorded among the land records. At the time of the hearing, mention was made by both Senator Cordon and Senator Ellender of certain amounts which evidently appeared on papers before the committee as unexpended balances from prior appropriations. Some confusion may have been created by reason of the fact that the discussion evidently included other unexpended balances than those relating to the Maryland park acquisitions. This Commission does not have before it the figures about which inquiry was made except the portion which relates to park acquisitions in Maryland. There is in fact no "unexpended balance" of any prior appropriation insofar as these Maryland park acquisitions under section 1b of the Capper-Cramton_Act are concerned because all of the appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1949, 1950, and 1951 are definitely allocated and committed for the purchase of the lands that are shown on the enclosed map within the red outline. A schedule showing the distribution of the total of the last three appropriations under section lb of the Capper-Cramton Act is as follows: No por The several units shown above all appear on the map transmitted herewith and the point is that the funds necessary to complete their acquisition are the funds contained in the 1949, 1950, and 1951 appropriations mentioned. tion of these funds can therefore be regarded as "unexpended" except in the very technical sense and then only with respect to that portion of these units now in $85, 500 111, 000 330, 000 132, 000 66,000 At the conclusion of the hearing it was suggested that an attempt be made to reduce the item of $795,000 now under consideration by your subcommittee for further land acquisitions in Maryland under section 1b of the act. As has been stated the areas proposed to be acquired from the appropriation now before you are shown in the purple outline on the map submitted herewith. The committee must bear in mind that the $795,000 item represents a substantial reduction made by the Budget Bureau in the amount requested for these acquisitions. As a matter of fact, the estimates made in February just prior to the hearing before the Committee on Independent Offices of the House Committee on Appropriations, indicates that the cost of these proposed acquisitions will much exceed the amount requested. The detail of these estimated costs is as follows: It must be remembered that the growth and development of this Maryland area has been approximately four or five times that of the District of Columbia. This is reflected in the figures for both population and assessable basis. The assessable basis has increased from $89,689,751 in 1930 to $444,740,179 in 1950. In the same two decades the population has increased from 60,862 in 1930 to 292,526 in 1950. This phenomenal growth and development has had a tremendous impact on the whole area and particularly in recent years since the close of World War II reservation and preservation of these stream valley park areas has been increasingly difficult due to the intense development of much of this area, which has seen a sudden change from undeveloped acreage to highly developed subdivisions or apartment property, some of which is actually urban. The areas which are proposed for acquisition from the appropriations here requested are all critically threatened by subdivisional or other encroachments which, if successful at any one of these critical points, will as a practical matter terminate the Capper-Cramton park system at that point. A careful consideration and review of these critical areas makes it impossible as a practical matter to establish priorities or to say that one of these areas is more critically threatened by encroachment than another. This condition coupled with the fact that the amount requested already represents a very substantial reduction by the Budget Bureau to a figure already only two-thirds of the estimated cost of acquisition of these critical areas has persuaded this Commission that it would be doing the Capper-Cramton park system a disservice were it to attempt at this time to make an arbitrary selection from among these critical areas or to assume the responsibility for deferring the acquisition of any of them. Each one unless acquired or certainly committed (and this cannot be done without funds available) necessarily involves such a threat of termination of the park system at that point that this Commission deems it incompatible with its duties as a State agency to participate in or sanction such a proposal. This Commission is deeply desirous of cooperating with your committee in its efforts to limit strictly to emergency needs all appropriations made by Congress at this time. It prefers, however, to leave the full responsibility for meeting this particular emergency with the Congress. It is the feeling of this Commission that it has discharged its full duty with respect to Maryland's obligation to cooperate in the preservation and development of the Capper-Cramton park system by making to your committee and to the House committee a full frank disclosure of the situation which now exists and which is set forth in this letter and shown by the accompanying map. Very respectfully, IRWIN I. MAIN, Chairman. (The map referred to in the above letter was filed with the committee.) (Whereupon, at 12:30 p. m., Monday, April 9, 1951, the subcom INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATIONS, 1952 TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1951 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to recess, at 10 a. m., in room F-39, the Capitol, Hon. Burnet R. Maybank, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding. Present: Senators Maybank, Hill, Ellender, Saltonstall, and Ferguson. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION STATEMENTS OF WALTER M. W. SPLAWN, CHAIRMAN; CHARLES D. MAHAFFIE, COMMISSIONER; WILLIAM J. PATTERSON, COMMISSIONER; JAMES K. KNUDSON, COMMISSIONER; W. P. BARTEL, SECRETARY; B. H. WISE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY (BUDGET OFFICER); W. Y. BLANNING, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF MOTOR CARRIERS; G. S. DOUGLASS, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF VALUATION; C. W. EMKEN, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF ACCOUNTS AND COST FINDING; C. W. TAYLOR, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF SERVICE; C. G. JENSEN DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF TRAFFIC; H. C. KING, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, DEFENSE TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION; S. N. MILLS, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF SAFETY; F. E. MULLEN, CHIEF EXAMINER, BUREAU OF FORMAL CASES; AND W. H. S. STEVENS, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF TRANSPORT ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS SALARIES AND EXPENSES GENERAL STATEMENT Senator MAYBANK. The meeting will come to order. I understand, gentlemen, that the House hearings are available, but they are not to be released until tomorrow. Of course, I have not had a chance to read them. We have been proceeding rather independently, without the benefit of what you may have said to the House. Have you a prepared statement you want to give to us? Mr. MAHAFFIE. Yes, sir. Senator MAYBANK. Is it similar to the one presented to the House? Mr. MAHAFFIE. Very similar, with some bringing up to date. 265 |