Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-03
Recommendation That All Moneys Affecting
Fiscal Account of District Shall Be
Paid Into the u. S. Treasury
Through the Tax Collector.
Request That the Accounting Officers of the District
Shall Be Permitted to Make Complete
Audit of the Account Against District
for Care of INDECENT Insane.

The first year the Fairgrounds have been
under government control has proved
highly satisfactory to all concerned from
The progress during the past year In
playground development has consisted
mainly in the intensification Of the pres
ent playground activities and the full use
of the facilities already provided rather
than extension of the work through other
have been in operation during the past
year as were in the previous year.
x !.
The supervisor has made a carefuf
study Of playground and recreational ac-
tivities of the District Of
Report of Columbia during his first
year as the head OF this
0CGAsAVA0S' department and made a
detailed report to the Commissioners July
1. which was printed as Senate document
No. 937, through the courtesy Of Senator
Jacob H. Gallinger.
1t is gratifying to note the manner in
which public-spirited citizens have con-
tinued to cooperate with this depart
ment and the assistance given to 1t by
the voluntary organizations. including the
citizens associations of Washington.
During the past year a training class
has been conducted for playground work
erS with an enrolment of 115 teachers.
from which the workers have been chosen.
This class will be continued. and the fu-
ture teaching force in the Fairgrounds
Will be selected from it. Qualifications
for teachers have also been established
which have been found to result in in
creased efficiency on the part of that
class of workers.
1t is obvious that the Fairgrounds
movement is an educational movement as
well as recreationaL The interest dis
played by the many visitors to the Capital
city is evidence that it is becoming a ma
tional movement in every sense OF the
word, and that our municipalities are be-
coming more and more convinced that it
is their duty to provide adequately for
this social and civic need Of their people.
X *
The first administrative step in eff
fecting the project of Transforming the
int Tor of
Willow Tree Alley square 5si.
Recreation Center. " r~,su a
avenue and C street and Sd and Az
streets southwest. commonly known as
Willow Tree alley. into an interior
park Ind playground was taken by in
stituting condemnation proceedings in
the Supreme Court Of the District OF
Columbia. but progress in that direc-
ton was delayed by objections to the
verdict of the jury which condemned
the necessary land and apportioned the
benefits incidental thereto on adj
jacent property. The proceedings Of
were taken under a
clause in the act approved March .. 1911,
for the expenses OF the gov
of the District of Columbia for
the fiscal year ending June 30. 19l2 which
appropriated $4,000 for the acquisition OF
this land and its development as an in
terror park, and directed that not less
than One-third of the cost OF the land
and the expenses of the condemnation pro-
ceedings should be assessed by the jury
as benefits under subchapter one or
chapter fifteen of the Code Of Law for
the District OF Columbia
In anticipation of favorable outcome
to this suit. which was decided in favor
Of the District on the 18th ultimo. the
for the fiscal year to end June 30. 1914,
an item Of $4,000 for the development OF
this tract, including the construction of
a substantial structure for bathing,
swimming, reading rooms, gymnasium,
hall and other facilities COM
mon to recreation centers
The swimming pools were opened to the
public on July 1 and closed September
ID. Lack of funds prevent
Bathing ed opening of pools at an
earlier date. From the oath
oedcA' to the Doth Of September the
pools were used for races and demonstra-
ha in
with the Congress Of Hygiene and De-
The number of bathers for the season
vas 5000. OF this number 5000 were
women and girls.
Sixty-six new dressing rooms were con-
in the bathhouse. which brought
the capacity of the bathhouse to about
300, including the dressing rooms for
women, which are used when the at
tendance is unusually large
The recommendation Of the supervisor
IF Fairgrounds that swimming pools be
put in all Fairgrounds should receive
serious consideration.
A pool should be constructed in the un-
used portion OF the present bathhouse
for women. This is inclosed and could
De used by women at any time.
The name of this branch of the munich
pal service should be changed to mu-
licipal swimming pools.
With the present appropriation IL IL
mnossible to conduct the pools the num-
DER of days they should be open. or to
provide sufficient and competent help.
rhe pools should open not later than
Nav so, and remain open until at least
he middle of September.
x K
The prohibition in section seven OF the
legislative, executive and judicial appro-
priation act APP
Official Telephones in proved August
-, 1872 against
Private Residences. the expenditure
II anv money appropriated by that or
INV other act for telephone service in
stalled In any private residence or pri-
yate apartment. or for tolls or other
charges for telephone service from pri- |
yate residences or private apartments ex-
.ept for distance telephone tolls re-