Box 22, Folder 17, Document 19

Box 22, Folder 17, Document 19

THE NEW YORK TIMES - NOVEMBER 21, 1966

WIDER URBANROLE

U.S. Report Scores Lag in
’ Facirig Cities’ Problem
/
ae se
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20
(AP)—A report issued tonight
by a House ‘committee predict-
ed that the Federal system
might be gravely weakened un-
Jess states increased their role
in solving the problems of met-
ropolitan areas, |
* It said states had tagged far
behind Federal and ivcal gov-



ernments in dealing wi.n such} But it noted that the vast Rockefeller of New York, Car!
problems and that, 4s a result.;increase in Federal programs F. Sanders of Georgia and Rob-
cities had bypassed states end/aimed at metropolitan areas ert E. Smylie of Idaho; Secre-
to Washingtes should serve as a basis for en-|taries Henry
Treasury, Orville L, Freeman of

gone directly
for help.

“Minimizing state participa-
tion in urban affairs is tanta-
mount to removing stave influ-
ence from a critical range of
domestic issues," the report
said, adding that without state
participation it is doubtful
whether local government can
be reorganized to meet its
growing responsibilities.”

What is seen as an urgent

the states is a principal theme
of the 168-page report, a prod-
uce of seven years of work by
the bipartisan Commission. on
Intergovernmental_ Fielations.

Tronotes that with metropoli-

tan areas growing so fast that



tion's population would live

“URGED PORSTATES

need to re-establish a role for),

some 75 per cent of the na-)



government within metropoli-|
tan areas, and innovations in
relations between the ‘Federal
Government, the states and
local communities are needed
to dvercome these otstacles,”
sets ee
The report was prepared for
the commission by Bernard J.
Frieden, associate protessor of
city planning at Massachusetts
Institute, of ‘Technology, , and
issued by’ the House Govern-}
ment Operations Committee.
Much of the report was de-
voted to. the need for state
legislation providing greater
home rule, metropolitan plan-
ning and strengthening of gen-
jeral governmental units, as op-
posed to school districts, water
‘and sewerage boards and other
|single-purpose groups,





couraging metropolitan plan-
ning for both the central] city
and surrounding suburbs,

“The Congress and executive
agencies should authorize and
encourage responsible joint par-
ticipation in urban development
programs by local governments
having common program objec-
tives in metropolitan areas that
everlap political boundaries,"
the report said.

William G. Colman, the com-
mission's executive director,
said in a statement accompany-
ing the report that “the solu-
tions to metropolitan problems
can be devetoped by the states,
(by the Federal Government, o
jby both.” :

Although the report made it
jclear that the commission fa-



there by 1980, the Government|vored such development at all
would have to provide many of|levels, Mr. Colman said that
the services individuals could “the decision as to which it will
furnish themselves in a pre-'be rests to a considerable ex-
dominantly rural economy. ltent with the state govern-
But the report asserted that/ments, because it they choose
{poor coordination and conflictsinot ot act, the metropolitan
Jof interest among governments|problem by default, becomes
often block effective action to|largely a Federal problem."
‘deal with metropolitan prob-| The report suggested that
dlems.” this had already happened, and
“Changes in the structure of|said tuat “the state role has’







been lagging far behind both!

local and Federal activity."

“Yet,” it went on, “the states
occupy critical position within
the American Federal systems
and possess the power and -re-
sources to strengthen local ca-
pacities and stimulate greater
cooperation within metropolitan
areas.” _ ee

. Specific Proposals

Many -of the commission's
specific proposals, such as state
legislation ‘to limit zoning
powers of smaller suburbs and
to limit incorporation of sepa-
rate units within metropolitan
areas, have been issued in ear-
lier reports. :

Members of the commission
include Govs. John N. Dempsey
of Connecticut, Nelson A.

H. Fowler of the

rons os

Agriculture, Robert C. Weaver
of Housing and Urban Deyel-
opment; Senators Sam J. Ervin
iJr. of’ North Carolina, Karl EB.
|Mundt of South Dakota, and
Edmund S, Muskie of Maine;
Representatives Eugene J8
Keogh of New York, L. H.
!Fountain of North Carolina and
Florence P. Dwyer of New Jer-
sey; and Mayors Neal S. Blais-
dell of Honolulu, Herman Gold-
ner of St. Petersburg, Fla.,
Richard C. Lee of New Haven,
and Arthur A, Naftalin of Min-
neapolis.





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