Evening star., 1923-05-02

Lack OF VISION on tNe VI tuc
forefathers, and the difficulty in get
ting Congress in later years to enact
the necessary legislation. has been re-
sponsible for the slowness in the eX-
tension and development of the park
ing system Of the District of Column
bia. according to Col. c. o. Sheriff..
officer in charge of public buildings
and grounds, in an address before the
meeting of the Association OF City
Planners in Baltimore Monday night.
In his description of the park de-
velopment of this city Col. Sheriff.
called attention to the fact that the
government was many years in aWak-
ening to the necessity of appropri-
ating money for the parks Of the
capital. and it has been difficult te
impress each succeeding Congress
with the same necessity.
The government has not exhibited
the required amount of foresight IN
the matter of procuring adequate
lands within the boundaries of the
District" Col. Sheriff. said. This is
all the more unfortunate inasmuch a s
the government has the advantage of
being exempt of taxes.
Center Well Planned.
although the future necessities
were not fully foreseen at the time
OF the organization Of the District
Of Columbia" Col Sheriff. said, with
thanks to few of the most far
sighted statesmen of the early day
the center part of Washington was
given a splendid plan with adequate
park areas. From 1890 to 1897 prac-
tically no additional areas were added
ha NJ yEa n nrrfn
chxse The only ones Of any moment
added during these hundred years
were those reclaimed by the United
States Corps of Engineers as an in
cident to their dredging operations
in the maintenance of the channels
in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers
BY this means West Potomac Park
of 395 acres was added. including all
the area west of the Washington
Monument and south of B street, all
of East Potomac Park Of 327 acres.
all of Anacostia Park of 1.240 acres
and Columbia Island of acres.
I'm 1897, after years Of wranglinE
in Congress and bitter charges Of
grating against some OF Washing
tons greatest citizens" Col Sheriff.
continued. the purchase of Rock
Creek Park. with 1900 acres. was
finally consummated. thus creating
one of the most beautiful natural
'arks to be found in the vicinity of
any large city of the world About
the same time the Geological Park
with 175 acres. was purchased. ex-
tending southwark along Rock creek
to the vicinity of the Calvert street
bridge.
Three Areas Bought.
Prom this time forward no park
purchases of any note were made for
about fifteen years. when Congress
authorized the purchase Of the gorge
- val nf nrl IL
tending from the Geological Park to
the mouth of the creek at West Po-
tomac Park. near the present Lincoln
Memorial. Under small appropriations
varying from $4,000 to 100000 per
year these purchases are now nearly
completed. 1t will be seen that there
have been only three large park areas
purchased by the government. at a
total cost of s2.151,072. since the es-
tablishment of the National Capital
in the District, leaving about IS per
cent of the District entirely without
adequate park or playground areas
AS an example of the difficulties
that have been encountered in secur-
ing additions, even of small extent to
the existing park areas. | might cite
the fact that for a number of years
persistent efforts have been made to
induce Congress to buy two small
areas along two of the branches of
Rock Creek as q means of protecting
small but tremendously important
areas have been rejected by Congress
over and over again. In the meantime
we have had to stand by and see
these areas encroached on and mutil-
ated by grading, filling and destruc-
tion of the forest growth for build
ing operations.
Lack of Clear Policy.
"In the above outline of the devel-
opment of Washington parks every
one must be impressed by the abso-
Lutte lack of policy in method of ac-
quirement of lands. Each particular
tract has been added only after years
Of effort. first to get through the
authorization, followed by more years
of struggle to get appropriations to
carry out the purchases authorized.
Those who are not familiar with the
procedure required to secure funds
from Congress would hardly believe
a recital Of the steps necessary in
each case.
"If, however. Notwithstanding all
of these possibilities of failure, an
authorization bill should finally pass
dent. the work would only be fairly
started for then it would require an
other year in which estimates under
this bill could be legally introduced
and these estimates would be sub
ject to a multiplicity of cuts by the
budget and the committees before
they could come before Congress. 1t,
therefore, happens that no appropria-
tions are made for many years to car
ry out acts duly authorizing appro-
priation of funds.
"In this connection. l might cite the
fact that the act creating the Airing
ton Memorial Bridge Commission was
passed in 1913. authorizing an appro-
priation of $4,000 to prepare plans
for this bridge, but no appropriation
VI m q "a n a llf
tion until 1922, and then only after
repeated estimates had been submit