Evening star., 1916-05-12
Board of Trade Committee
Discusses the Subject With
Representative Page.
AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION
MAKES PLEA FOR STADIUM
Engineer Commissioner Kutz and
Col. Harts Back Plea for Addl-
tional Recreation Spaces.

past and projected. took the center OF
the stage at the Capitol today. when a
committee of the board or trace accom-
panied by Commissioner kutz ana COL
Harts officer in charge of pubic ouiid-
inss and grounds. conferred with Rep
resentative Page of North Carolina. ana
also. later in the day, when representa-
tives of the Amateur Athletic Union ap-
peared before the House APPROPRIATIONS
committee The latter hearing was IN
favor of the Hubert bill to erect an
athletic stadium and provide eleantic
system of athletic fields in east Poto-
mac Park. which, it was suggested,
should lead the world in excellence.
The conference with Representative
PAGE in charge of the District appro.
priation bill. was frank and free ana
seemingly satisfactory expression OF
opinion on all sides relating TO PARK
and reservation questions.
tions came from the engineer Com
missioner and from Col. Harris. when
the matter of accessibility OF the parks
| was being talked Of Both OF the GanE aranE
| Park and in Potomac Park the govern
ment should lay street car tracks. con-
nected with the city car lines.
I'VE should do this" said Col. Harts.
because I believe it would be wrong to
give either company monopoly, but
both companies should be able to get
their cars to the parks and use the
government tracks there.
Comparison With Other Cities.
The hearing in Representative Pages
office arose out of a remark made by
Mr. Page at one time to the effect he
believed that Washington is as we'll
provided for in the way of parks as any
city on earth. Judge Bundy. chairman
of the Board of Trade committee on
parks and reservations, took up the
matter and succeeded in having Col:
Harts today outline the present and
American cities. without giving the
details the conclusion readily reached
after the examination of maps and fig-
ures was that unless the comprehensive
park plans laid out t,, Tor ,,,I hs nyer
crowded and without adequate parks
within short time.
II figure that the District of Column
bia will have million people living IN
it within two generations said Col.
Harts, land for that reason it is neces-
sary that this comprehensive park plan
be followed
Maps showing the proposed parking
system for Washington were shown.
Col. Harts explained the markings on
the maps. One of the promising devel-
opments in the park situation. 1t ap-
peared at the hearing. is that the
Forthcoming sundry civil bill may
carry an appropriation to start work on
the connecting parkway between 70
tomac Park and the Zoo.
A report required by Congress, show
ing an exact delineation of property to
be procured has been forwarded to the
House and only within a day or two
was referred to the appropriations
committee now engaged in building the
| sundry civil bill. Difficulties met with
in handling the properties OF two large
corporations in the line of the con-
Meeting strip have been overcome, Col.
Harts said.
Situation Explained.
Representative Page asked Col Harts
to explain the situation relative to
property near the Connecticut Avenue
bridge, where considerable agitation
has arisen over the possibility of build
ings cutting off property owners from
view of the proposed parkway.
Col Harts said that real estate op
orators had made assertions in selling
certain land there that the buyers would
never be cut off from the view of the
park However. unless the parkway
plan includes a very wide stretch at
bridge, It is possible that buildings will
be erected to the discontinue of Ger
tain property owners. Col. Harts SAID
It would be most desirable to obtain
wide strip in the locality mentioned.
but that he would not burden the plan
with such a recommendation If it ap-
peared to endanger the SUCCESS of the
rest Of the plan.
Col. Kutz took up the Klingle Ford val
ley matter Cleveland Park residents
have been pleading for a park to be made
out of that section for a long time, be-
ause. unless the government buys it, It
up the valley and sell building sites there.
Col Kutz said it is most desirable to
make park out of that little nook in the
landscape.
"It is one of the beauty spots of Wash
ington and ought to be protected" he
said.
Cathedral Avenue Section.
This led up to a discussion of the land
living between Cathedral avenue and the
Zoo. Col. Kutz said that he had sug-
gested cooperation of plans between
the Commissioners and the Zoo, but
that none had been effected as yet
II believe that the appearance Of the
capital Of a nation" said Col. Kutz. later
in the discussion, gives visitors an opin-
ion as to the nation itself. and for this
reason believe every attention should be
paid to the comprehensive park scheme"
81 think you are right" said Represen-
tative Page. land Furthermore l want to
say am not one of the faddists who want
to try out every new scheme on Wash
ington--to try it out on the dog and then
If it works give the benefit to the rest of
the country, and If it fails make Wash
ington bear the burden"
He continued:
However, there is an abiding i'm
preston in Congress that Washington
is better equipped with parks than any
other city in the world, perhaps. and
that impression always greets me on
the floor of the House when 1 bring up
a park subject"
Because Of Wide Spaces.
THAT is because of the wide spaces
here and the scattering of little green
triangles and circles. answered Col. |
Harts. who then showed by maps and