The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-06

congress in its wisdom might adopt.
| Speaking generally, think there
| ought to be more concentration of au-
thority in respect to the accomplish
ment of some of these purposes with
more economy of expenditure.
Public Parks.
Attention is invited to the peculiar
| situation existing in regard to the
parks Of Washington. The park sys-
| tenn proper, comprising some 343 diff
ferent areas, is under the office of
public buildings and grounds, which,
however, has nothing to do with the
control of Rock Creek park, the zoo
| logical park, the grounds of the de-
partment of agriculture, the botanic
garden, the grounds of the capitol and
! other public grounds which are regu-
larly open to the public and ought to
be part of the park system Exclusive
of the grounds of the Soldiers home
and of Washington barracks. the pub
lie grounds used as parks in the Dis
| trict of Columbia comprise over 8, 100
acres, under ten different controlling
officials or bodies. This division of jul
| r1sdiction is most unfortunate.
Large sums of money are spent
yearly In identifying and keeping in
good condition these parks and the
| grounds connected with government
buildings and institutions. The work
| done on all of them is of the same
| general character-work for which the
office of public buildings and grounds
has been provided by congress with a
| special organization and equipment
which are lacking for the grounds not
under that Office. There can be no
doubt that If all work of care and i'm
provement upon the grounds belonging
to the United States in the District of
| Columbia were put as far as possible
under one responsible head the result
would be not only greater efficiency
and economy in the work itself, but
greater harmony in the Development
of the public parks and gardens of the
city.
Congress at its last session provided
for two more parks, called the Merid-
ian Hill and Montrose parks, and the
District Commissioners have also in
cluded in their estimates a sum to be
used for the acquisition of much need
ed park land adjoining the geological
park. known as the Klingle Ford
tract. The expense of these three
| parks, included in the estimates of the
| commissioners, aggregates 100000.
think it would lead to economy if the
! improvement and care of all these
parks and other public grounds above
described should be transferred to the
Office of public buildings and grounds,
| TZf1fOh has nm oil a~,H
nomically adapted to carrying out the
public purpose in respect to improve
ments Of this kind.
To prevent encroachments upon the
park area it is recommended that the
erection of any permanent structure on
any lands in the District of Columbia
belonging to the United States be pro
hfbited except by specific authority Of
congress.
Tho District of Columbia In Virginia.
have already in previous communi-
cations to congress referred to the Inn
pcrtance Of acquiring for the District
of Columbia at least a part of the ter
rttOry on the other side of the Potomac
in Virginia, which was originally
granted for the District by the state
VI VHkIu1A auu CQen WIS Ie1F0CoQ6O
by act OF congress in 1846.
1t Is very evident from conferences
that I have had with the senators and
representatives from Virginia that
there is no hope of a regranttng by
the state of the land thus given back
and am frank to say that in SO far
as the tract includes the town Of Alex.
andFiG and land remote from the Pc
tomac river there would be no partic
ular advantage IN bringing that within
national control.
But the land which lies along the
Potomac river above the railroad
bridge and across the Potomac, In
Guiding Arlington cemetery, Fort My
er, the government experiment farm
the village of Rosslyn and the Pail
sades OF the Potomac, reaching to
where the old District line intersects
the river, is very sparsely settled anG
could be admirably utilized for in
creasing the system of the parks OF
Washington.
1t has been suggested to me by tn,
same Virginia senators and represent
atives that if the government were t,
acquire for a government park tn,
land above described, which is not O
very great value, the present law O
Virginia would itself work the creation
Of federal Jurisdiction over it, and i
that were not complete enough the leg
islature of Virginia would in all proba
bility SO enlarge the Jurisdiction as t
enable congress to include 1t within tn
control of the government of the Dis
; trict of Columbia and actually make i
a part of Washington. / earnestly rec
ommend that steps be taken to carr,
out this plan.
II Public Utilities.
t There are a sufficient number of COZ
) porations enjoying the use of publ
: utilities in the District of Columbia t
! justify and require the enactment O
5 q law providing for their supervisor