Evening star., 1924-12-11
SEEKS REBUILDING
. OF BOTANIC GARDEN
Representative Dickinson to
Push Plan for Model
Institution.

Erection or thoroughly modern
plant for the National Botanic Gar
den, which will be an adornment for
section of the city which Is now
an eyesore for Congress and visitors
from all parts of the country, will be
vigorously pushed at this session OF
Congress under the active leadership
of Representative Dickinson of Iowa,
chairman of the subcommittee OF the
House appropriations committee
which passes upon all appropriations
for the Botanic Garden.
After a conference today with Dl-
rector Hess of the Botanic Garden
David Lynn. architect of the Capitol,
and others particularly concerned in
the proposed development, Repre-
sentative Dickinson let it be known
that new buildings along the bed of
the old James Creek on land turned
over by Congress to the Botanic Gar
den last year will be provided for
and that probably other tracts Of
land owned by the District and sew
eral privately owned will probably
be condemned so as to provide ade-
quate space during the coming fiscal
wear for the systematic improvement
of the garden.
Predicts Early Action.
Representative Dickinson in con-
ference today with these officials
went over charts showing the land
south of the Capitol to the river
which it is proposed will eventually
be occupied by the enlarged Botanic
Garden. He predicted that early ac-
ton will be taken on legislation
which will provide a comprehensive
program for establi shing the Botanic
Garden with modern equipment so
that within a few years it may be-
come the equal OF any such irstitu-
ton in the world.
Representative Dickinson emphasized
that this will improve a section of the
city which needs Improvement as much
If not more than any other part of the
National Capital
He explained that the old observa-
tory IN the present Botanic Garden,
between Pennsylvania avenue and
Maryland avenue must soon be
wrecked and rebuilt. He says this
conservatory ought not to. be rebuilt
on it's present site and that the best
location for il now seems to be along
Maryland avenue. BY doing this it
would replace number of propagat-
ing houses which must be rebuilt
anyway, and which are not in any
sense objects of beauty in their pres
ent dilapidated condition at the very
foot of Capitol Hill.
New Land Needed.
To carry out this proposed improve
ment it will be necessary to proyide
land on which new propagating
houses will be built.
A resolution has already passed the
House and action on 1t will soon be
secured in the Senate by Senator
PeDper of PENNSYLVANIA Representa-
tive Dickinson said. This resolution
would constitute a commission, COM
posed of the architect of the Capitol,
the director of the Botanic Garden
and other officials, with the duty of
formulating a plan for future expan-
sion of the Botanic Garden, and which
would determine what land now own
ed by the Government should be
given over to Botanic Garden occu-
pancy, and what land now privately
owned should be condemned, so as to
complete the stretch Of gardens from
the Capitol to the river on the south.
Under this resolution such a COM
prehensive plan for the enlarged Bo-
tanic Garden would be submitted to
the library committee in this way /;
subsequent legislation would be pro-
vided so that appropriations annually
made by Congress could be used to
the best advantage in carrying out
this comprehensive scheme of devel-
opment.