Evening star., 1924-03-16

ROCK creek TO protect the cxeek iEoii,
pollution and preserve the flow OF
water, already reduced one-haN.
Propose Fert boulevard.
20. Establishing a fort boulevard
following the hills encircling the cNy
and connecting the civil war fortA
Many of these are still well preserved.
with long lines OF breastworks stiil
"s. Widening Piney Branch park
way from Rock creek to 18th street,
so as to preserve the forest to the
hilltops. embracing and preserving
is described by DR.. Holmes Of the
Smithsonian Institution as the great
sst aboriginal bowlder quarry
parkway under and northeast from
the Tiger bridge. Unless this is done
the bridge will shortly be rendered
useless by complete filling OF the east
side of the arch. compelling a grade
street. 1t would Immensely relieve
trafic conditions to divert passenger
traf7ic down the valleys Of Piney
branch and Rock Creek to Potomac
Park, passing under nine bridges ana
IS. Acquiring the klinEle Ford
valley. = natural entrance to the park
from the west, and necessary con-
nection between the upper and lower
MOCK ITeek Sdiley. ..t ~
Acquire Hardwood Forest.
60 Acquiring the beautiful hard
wood forest of the Patterson tract,
lying within IN miles of the Capitol
building, at an elevation nfnety-nVe
feet higher than the Capitol and over
looking the entire city and rivers ana
hills beyond. ,,.i.
river marshes above Benning bridge
into water park and the ad1acsnt
Mount Hamilton into a national ar
boretum.
skirts at proper intervals for parks
and Fairgrounds before they are ouiit
lup and the cost increased.
80. ACQUISITION of all the LANDS
already in government ownership ana
of all the property on lower PennsyI-
Iyania avenue near the Capitol, now
occupied by unsightly buildings, ana
improving by proper ,al,s park dese'1e- nn, pe-
quired for government buildings THIS
is essential to prevent obJectlonaoIe
structures fronting on the CapRof
Park and for the Improvement OF
present unfortunate conditions on MS
toric Pennsylvania avenue.
Expunded Into MarylaAA.
The Capital city has already ex-
handed into Maryland and virginia
and that expansion must continue IN
definitely.
For proper extension Of the Ma
tional Capital park system the .Cl-
lowing lands should be acquired, SUD
jcGt to the action and co-operation OF
the state governments OF Maryland
II. The valley Of Rock Creek north
ward from the District une pr1h
its feeders and branches, certainty
so far as covered with forest. TINS
is essential to prevent CONTAMINATION
Of the stream and to preserve tne
duced to half its former volume:
"2. Both banks Of the Potomac from
Washington to Great Falls, TO pre-
serve the forests. the very remaIk-
able natural scenery, and stop oeIace
meut by quarry operations, this PARK
extension not to Interfere with future
developments for water supply anu
"3. Development of park, be oulevards
down the Potomac, on the. Virginia
side 20 Mount vernon, on the Mary
land side to Fort WAshingtons along
the bluffs overlook ing the riwer.
"a Acquisition of at least poftions
Of the beaurifu1 Sligo valley jrs1 De-
yond Takoma-
zProvtssoa for Ps-kways.
"5. Acquisition of the forest are>es
just outside. the District, near the
vision for parkways centering at that
point, as suggested by Mr.. Greenleaf,
landscape architect Of the Commis-
sion Of Fine Arts.
Baltimore city for two park boule-
wards to Baltimore, ono along Rock
Creek valley to its head waters east
of Rockville, thence northeastward,
the other from the north terminus
cf 18th street, utilizing the forested
valleys and tributaries Of the north.
west branch and Paint branch OF
the Anacostia river, the big Patuxent,
Little Patuxent and middle Patuxent
and the Patapsco forest reserve al
ready established.
"7. Acquiring several Of he civil
war forts occupying the heights on
overlooking the Capital city.
u.s. Dsssl0Pf%sn' from the OF vaxna inTss
minus OF the proposed memorial
bridge. one directly to Arlington
cemetery, one up the Potomac, cof.
nectine with tho Lee highway and
with the projected PARK n pou,eV]so sho
river connecting with the projected
riverside boulevard to Mount Vernon.
Extension Sf System.
There Is no existing law provid-
ing for extension Of the park system
or authori1ing budget estimates for
acquiring any additional park areas.
commission, or oficial. either Of the
federal or District government. au-.
thorizod to sstudy or work out . sys-
tematic park plan.
"rhere is no oficial legally directed
or invited to submit Recommendations
or estimates for acquiring additional
park areas.
"The present method Of passing a
bill authorizing acquisition OF speci-
fed tract and a subsequent appropri-
alton to provide payment for It Is q
failure. With the rapid broadening
of federal legislation 1t Is physical
impossibility for committees to make
the detailed, comprehensive and con-
tinuousl study necessary to select the
lands most suitable and most needed
as the city expands.
Heading ON Distraction.
when tracts essential to the park
system are threatened with deStfuc-
tion, as has occurred many times, it is
impossible to secure passage Of bill
through committees and through both
houses, and to secure necessary ap-
prOpriationO in time to prevent the
destruction. It 10 essential that some
board or commission be authorized
to take immediate action in such
cases.
"The practical solution seems TO be
to establish q permanent commission;
to authorize ssuch commission to se.
lect and acquire the lands within the
District Of Columbia needed for park
extension: to authorize such conmis-'
sion to formulate agreements with
ofncials Of Maryland and virginia,
when such officials are properly depu-
tiIed BY the Legislatures of those
states, for the acquisition and control
of the lands for park and parkway ex-
tension Of the National Capitol sys-