Evening star., 1923-01-07

IC - not yet earning any returns De-
cause they cannot use and enjoy it
Let there at least be sufficient money
appropriated to make some part OF
Anacostia Park available for the
public.
"Anacostia Park will be one of the
outstanding features of the city OF
Washington. 1t will serve approx
imately one-half the area of the Dis
trict now devoid of any parks There
are two large parks in this city at
the present time, Rock Creek Park
and Potomac Park. Both are con-
city and not easily reached by car
lines. Washington is experiencing a
tremendous use-building boom and
a large part of this is taking place
/ IN the eastern part of the city.
Tapped By Five Car Lines.
within easy access and crossed
ana tapped by five car lines lies An
acostla Park 1t is a worthy project
and the public desires its use Take
/ Tor instance. that part of the city
along East Capitol street, ending on
the park. Here we have one of the
most densely settled parts of the city
ana one in which a great number OF
children are found.
Completion of the park by ade-
quate appropriations will save Wash
! lngton much money. Insstent de-
mands are made for Fairgrounds and
large sums are estimated for that
purpose.
with the completion of Anacostia
Park in this territory We not only
provide wonderful park, but sup
ply an unequaled playground area
or some l35 acres, free from all dan
! squares and attendant automobile
traffic. Moreover, it adjoins popu-
lous city area from which children
can easily reach their playground.
since the inception OF the project
the work to date has consisted largely
of dredging and reclamation. by
which the river channel is dredged
out and the mosquito breeding. ma
larlal marshes filled i'll and made pre-
sentable. BY February of this year
! an work of this class will be COM
pleted and must cease. because Con
gress has said in the last two appro.
prlationS that all money is to be eX-
pended below Benning bridge.
above Benning bridge lies. almost
ha1 OF the marsh area of the Anacos-
for some unexpIained reason. says
, that no work shall be done in this
district
Marsh Above Bridge.
AS indicated. by next month som,
$50 acres below Benning bridge vii
have been fully reclaimed and raised
ten feet above the water level
i bove the bridge there will. still re,
main untouched $50 acres of marsI
/ land upon which foul-smelling sew.
age filth is deposited at high tide anC
from which breeding swamp mos
quitoes continue to infest the city.
The restriction preventing worl
| above Benning road should be re,
moved by Congress.
consider for moment what has
already been done and how close tine
citizens of Washington are to real
! izatfon of actual benefits from the
proposed park. Up to the area of
the end of East Capitol street there
have been constructed five miles OF
masonry sea walls. holding back the
! big fills from the broad. pleasing
looking river stretches. Already sew
eral yacht clubs have located along
| the banks of the Anacostia river
mooring their craft in a harbor safe
| from ice disturbances. Looking dowT
from Benning bridge, we see a broad
river navigation channel with sea
walls partly completed. Farther
west is the wide park peninsula, call
ed Burnham barrier. some forty acres
| in extent. Closer to the city is biz
land-locked body of water, called
Lake Kingman, with two islands
pleasingly located. Then immedi-
ately adjoining the city proper comes
the big area of 1So acres. a play
ground for all the people.
Work On for Ten Years.
This work has now been going on
for ten years and it should and must
be completed for the benefit of the
public. Too many irons ar" often
put in the fire. but in Anacosta Park
there is one that needs beating into
shape Immediately. 1t concerns no
small sectional locality, but the whole
city
"Anacostia Park is an economic as
set to the United States government
L. -,l,s. II.
money has been saved and projects
otherwise too expensive have been
made possible.
"The citizens of Washington have
in this park tremendous asset upon
which they should soon realize a re-
turn on their investment.
"a brief comparison of Anacostia
Park with Rock Creek Park will
show some pertinent conditions. Both
parks practically extend north and
south throught the city, one on its
eastern side and the other on its west
each dips into well developed parts
of the city, while the upper ends
touch the District boundary in
sparsely settler country. Both are
in beautiful valleys susceptible to
the highest development and use by
the public. But here the compari-
son ends. Rock Creek Park has been
completed while Anacostia park is
being restricted as to extent and re-
ceiving limited appropriations. Rock
Creek Park is only wooded valley
with practically no water features.
while Anacostia Park will have large
amounts of each. Especially as to
water development, the latter will be
far superior and more accessible.
About 30 Per Cent Completed.
ITO date the project is only about
35 per cent completed. All the basic
work along the city proper is COM
pleted and only awaits norma ap-
propriations for the parking develop
ment to give the public full use nf the
benefit as each section is finished
1--WE urge Congress to remove all
restrictions hindering its advance
ment, and also that the Commits
sioners of the District should include
in their yearly estimates at least
100000 for the completion of this
most important project"
The Board of Trade as a whole and
committees of that organization nave
been hard at work endeavoring to re-
move restrictions on this work Both
the rivers and harbors committee and
the parks and reservations committee
have prepared reports.
The Bulletin, official organ of the
board, says:
Work on the immense project has
progressed as rapidly as the limited
yearly appropriations would permit.
Congress has appropriated $3.50, 900 to
continue the reclamation work for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1929. This
appropriation will enable the United
States engineer Office to complete
dredging operations as far UP the
river as Benning bridge.
Now. this is the important point.
When Bennfng bridge is reached the
operation must cease. Congress has
passed legislation prohibiting the
continuation of this wonderful
project, which means SO much to the
health, prosperity and attractiveness
of the National Capital. We cannot
understand why such prohibitive leg
isolation should be enacted.