Evening star., 1921-07-17
PLAY SITE NEEDS
IN SPECIAL PLEA
Emergency Program Being
Planned for Presentation
to Congress.

Washington's urgent Fairgrounds
need will be provided for in a special
| recommendation to be presented to
! Congress. probably at this session. If
a plan suggested at meeting last
! night of the executive committee of
! the newly formed united citizens
Fairgrounds committee finally is
| adopted.
1t was the sense Of the committee
| Congress should be asked to provide
now only for those needs which are
| pressing. which was the plan fol-
| lowed with respect to school develop
! ment A policy for future Fairgrounds
| development should be worked out
carefully and presented later. it was
| agreed.
Emergency Program Likely.
| There is a possibility of the emer-
| gency program being worked out in
| time to permit of its presentation to
, the House District committee at this
session. 1t was pointed out that
under the new House rules. it would
be impossible to get items in the
appropriation bill for purchase OF
! sites for Fairgrounds until the
House has enacted legislation author
iZing the purchase of sites. In other
words the House District COMMITTEES
would have to report out bill
authorizing the purchase OF play
grounds sites and Congress would
! have to pass it before it would be
possible to get the House appropria-
tions committee to provide the pur-
chase money.
When the executive COMMITTEE, Of
which Mrs. Lucy r. Swanson is chair
man. met last night in the hall at
1857 New York avenue. 1T was the
committees idea it would formulate
development program for presenta-
! tn In f~fr {n~y<
for consideration by them in connec-
tion with the framing Of the next
District budget. Fred G. Coldren
pointed out to the committee what
he termed the hopelessness of this
plan. He said the first thing to be
accomplished is to get Congress COM
| mitted to a Fairgrounds development
program. Mr.. Coldren said a recon-
mendation in the Commissioners
budget for purchase Of sites would
measure other than the appropria-
tion bill. has authorized the improve
ments desired.
Committee to BE Named.
Mr. Coldren's statement as to the
Legislative situation in Congress will
be considered by a subcommittee on
program. which will be named in the
next day or two.
Should the proposed legislation be
recommended but not acted upon by
Congress by the time the budget is
framed, it would be in order for the
Commissioners to send a supple
mental estimate for Fairgrounds to
Congress later, il was pointed out. in
the event Congress approved the de-
velopment plan in a separate meas
Gre.
Mrs. Swanton. who, also is chair
man of the general committee, was
instructed to name the chairman of
: thn program committee. The latter
will have the privilege of selecting
those who are to serve under him.
gram committee should confer with
the various citizens associations and
other civic bodies in the District and
map out program which will har-
monize. as far as possible, conflicting
opinions as to what the Districts
urgent Fairgrounds needs are.
Officers Named.
The executive committee organized
last night by eIecting Adolph Guide as
vice chairman and Philip Walker as
dent of the Henry l.. Cook Home and
School Associations: Harvey Speelman
Of the Columbia Heights Association;
! Don York and others participated in
the discussion. 1t was decided to
name a committee on membership to
consist of the officers of the executive
committee and others they might Sc
lect. The program committee will
confer with the District Commission
ers. the board of education and the
District Fairgrounds department in
making it's survey of Fairgrounds
needs.