Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-12
UNWILLING TO YIELD
PART OF THEIR POWER
School Officials Expected to
Oppose a Division of
Authority.
DR.. Davidson Suggests Board Might
Take Over Control of the Pub
lie Fairgrounds.

Although 1T is known that the school
officials and members of the board Of ed
ucation generally are in hearty accord
with the plan to extend the use of school
houses for civic work and as recreation
centers, II Is believed that any attempt
such as is now on foot to place all forms
OF recreation under a board of recrea-
ton will meet with great opposition from
school authorities if any attempt is made
to divide the control OF the use of the
school buildings. A similar attitude prob
ably will be taken regarding the school
Fairgrounds.
1t has been suggested that both the rnu-
nicipal as well as the school Fairgrounds
might be placed under the board of edu-
cation. This entire question has been
agitated in a variety of manners lately
and in various parts of the city. 1t is
believed that the board of education will
formulate and present to the public In
the near future definite policy regard
ing its attitude as to the Fairgrounds
proposition.
DR.. Davidson's Report.
DIR. William nj. Davidson. superintend-
ent of public schools. outlined the Off
letter to the board of education. The
letter follows:
AT the last meeting of the board of
education. held November IL, the fol-
lowing memorandum prepared by E. S.
Martin. supervisor of municipal play
grounds of the District of Columbia was
referred by the board of education to the
undersigned for report thereon:
Authority is hereby granted to the
SSinnnrC IF ha CT 10 ~ovI
of education and the engineer in charge
of public buildings and grounds to make
such Joint arrangement as may be desira
BILE for the purpose of unifying and IA
cilitating the administration of public
recreation throughout the District Of CO.
lumbia.
Funds appropriated to the depart
Tnents concerned for the maintenance of
Fairgrounds and other forms of recrea-
ton may. under such joint arrangement,
be expended under the direction of the
supervisor of Fairgrounds
Under Control of Board.
In reporting on the above 1 desire to
say that if 1T is the purpose and wish OF
the supervisor of the municipal play
grounds of the city to have his depart
ment transferred to the control of the
board of education so that his force Of
might be available for school use during
the entire year. in my Judgment a sug-
gestion looking toward bringing about
such an arrangement is one which can
properly receive the approval of the board
of education
Should such transfer of the NUM-
cipal PLAY grounds be made, and their con.
troll so changed, it would then. perhaps,
be proper that the funds appropriated for
both municipal Fairgrounds and school
Fairgrounds of the city should be ex-
pended under the direction of the board of
education and the superintendent OF
schools. rather than under the direction
of the supervisor of Fairgrounds solely.
Against Divided Authority.
IF, however. the proposed plan looks
toward any division Of authority and re-
sponsibility in the proper control of the
schoolhouses as recreation centers. and
of the public school Fairgrounds. then in
ter into any arrangement which would i'm
any way result in such divided response
bility.
In snort, 1 believe that unless the man.
agement of the municipal Fairgrounds
and the public recreation centers desires
to have it's activities placed under the
control of the board of education, that it
is better to let the status of such grounds
and centers, as well as the status Of the
public school buildings and the public
school Fairgrounds. remain just as they
are at the present tirne-the one under the
control of the Commissioners and the 9TH
er under the control Of the board of edu-
cation.