Evening star., 1922-11-15
C. Of c. COMMITTEE
|. PARKS REPORT HIT
Suggestions Denounced at
Chamber Meeting as
"Fake" and "Myth."
SAFETY WEEK IND0RsED
Garfield Hospital Drive for $500,
600 Also Backed-Address on
Cancer Another Feature.

A vigorous attack on the report of
the parks. highways and bridges COM
mittee and addresses on Safety week.
Cancer week and the Red Cross roll
call occupied the attention last night
Of the more than 500 members of the
Washington Chamber of Commerce,
who attended a meeting of that or
ganization at the Willard Hotel.
Following the reading of the parks
report, which was an Endorsement of
the report of the same committee of
the Board of Trade, a vitriolic denun-
citation of it's aims and motives was
launched by H. H. Classic and Chapln
Brown
The report. which is probably the
most comprehensive ever gotten to-
Sether by committee of either Or
ganlzatlon. was prepared by Fred
Coldren and his associates on the
parks and reservations committee of
the Board of Trade.
What Report Urges.
1t provides. among other features.
lot the appointment of a park COM
mission. which would have exclusive
jurisdiction over the development of
the parks. highways and Fairgrounds
OF the District. This commission, ac-
cording to the report. would be COM
posed of the Secretary of War. Sec
retary of the Treasury, chairman of
the Senate and House committees on
public buildings and grounds and En-
Slneer Commissioner of the District
and the officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds of the District.
Financing of the commission, which
n
ground for park and playground pur-
poses. would be by means of gen.
eral tax of l cent per person in the
United States. This method of taxa
tlon would bring in approximately
$1.o0O.O00 a year
The report has been unanimously
adopted by the parks and reserva-
tiOnS committee of the Board of
Trade: After thorough investiga-
ton it was also indorSed by the
chamber committee and was submit
ted as Its report at the meeting last
night
CharacteriZing the report as a
sham" a fake" and fraud" from
every angle Mr.. Classic asked if any
one at the meeting has ever heard of
congress putting into the hands of
five men S1,O0O0OO annually with
which to buy land.
Living Conditions Vital.
W mere are we gong 10 1--we after
S1.000.000 year is used to purcha ase
lands for parks in and near the Dis
trict.' asked Mr.. Classic. why frame
a picture to live in with no thought
of living conditions in the beautiful
picture. It's not where you live now
adays. but the condition of living. es-
pecially in these times of high prices
Congress will appropriate $4,000
OGO for statue to dead man, but
not a cent will it appropriate for ad-
ditlonal policemen to protect our chill
dren being crushed to death by auto
mobiles in the streets of the city
This report is a fantastic dream. a
myth. 1t is destroying our children's
future. 1t seeks to divert US from
the things we really need; better
educational facilities, more pay for
teachers, more policemen to keep our
streets safe and innumerable other
vitality important civic necessities
And yet we are urged to ask Congress
to appropriate money for this dream.
Instead of expending our energies
on this sham we should concentrate
on the important things. 1t is ride
ulous to ask an Intelligent body to
indorse such a report"
Attack by Brown.
Mr.. Brown. who preceded Mr..
Classic in deriding the report, urged
that the president of the board of
Commissioners be substituted on the
personnel of the proposed commission
for the name Of the Engineer Com
missioner. Mr. Brown said that there
was too much military" in the gov
ernment Of Washington now and
that he could see no reason for
furthering the pow.>--, of the mill
tary in relation to the District.
The report was laid on the table,
following a resolution to that effect
by Charles w. Darr.
Progress on Safety week and a
permanent campaign for safety in
Washington was reported by VIII
liam F. Ham, chairman of the safety
committee of the chamber. After a
review of the start of the safety
movement in this city, Mr.. Ham said
that there were great many regu-
lations for motorists, but none at all
for pedestrians.
IT was reading over the District regu-
lations the other day. said Mr.. Ham.
land while there were pages of exacting
regulations for the motorist, I could not
find a single regulation that dealt with
the conduct Of pedestrians on the streets
Of the city. There ought to be better
understanding between these two classes
Of street users. At the present time the
motorist is saddled with every regulation
invented"
Safety Week Indorsed.
A resolution by Mr. Darr indorsing
Safety week and a permanent safety
campaign was unanimously indorsed by
the chamber.
A brief address on Cancer week was
given by DIR. William Fowler. health
officer of the District, who advised MEM
bers of the organization consult a COM
petent physician at the first sign Of
unusual trouble in various organs of the
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