Evening star., 1924-06-06
PRESIDENT SIGNS
DISTRICT PARK BILL
Approves Measure for Development
80. ~. OF Boulevard and Play
d..
ground System.
SURVEY MADE BY EXPERT
Finds Splendid Opportunities for
Identification Here.

= q
the District of Columbia.
One provides for the comprehensive
and systematic development of the
parks. parkways and Fairgrounds in
and about Washington by a special
commission to be known as the Ma
rional Capital Park Comm iSSion.
The othersbill authorizes the Com
missioners of the District of Column
bia to accept certain land in TINS city
dedicated bye. G. Glover. This land
comprises approximately seventy
seven acres lying along FOUNDRY
Branch road between ssachusetts
avenue and Reservoir street north.
west. This tract will be developed
for park and playground purposes
and will be known as The Glover
Parkway and Childrens Playground"
inspection Trip Made.
in anticipation of the Presidents
signature to the bill to create the
park commission a preliminary sur
vey was made last week al the direc-
tion of stephen T. Mather, director of
the national park service. named as a
member of the commission.
Daniel Il. Hull, chief landscape en-
gineer of the national park service,
who was in Washington for a few
days, was detailed by Mr.. Mather to
make an inspection trip of the city
and its environs with view to MAX
ing general recommendations.
This trip Mr.. Hull made, accom-
panied by Fred G. Coldron, a member
of the local committee of 100 and
chairman of the parks committee of
the Washington Chamber of Com
merce.
The two men spent practically the
entire day. circling the District, visit
ing the old forts which would be
comprised in the great plan to create
Il park entirely around the city, view
ing the water front, Rock Creek
Park, Piney Branch and other sec
tons of the city. Fifty miles of ter
ritory was covered.
As a result of what he saw. Mr..
Hull has been able to make several
important recommendations anent the
park development plan here, based
upon his fresh viewpoint of the local
situation.
Results of Survey.
His trip showed him.. he said, the
necessity of the following:
!. Securing Immediately certain
areas which are threatened by private
interests.
2. Making adequate provision for
Fairgrounds
3. Adherins to the plan to follow
the chain of old forts around the
city.
4. Beautifying the railroad ap
proacheS to Washington.
The thing to do right now, Mr.. Hull
believes, is to secure at once the
lands most in danger, as certain
tracts which may be purchase at
this time within year or less will
be gone as far as the government is
concerned.
million dollars worth of land
ought to be obtained this year or
never" Mr.. Hull reported. He point
ed out that the experience of Kansas
City and other places has proved that
park Improvement means increased
land values in the vicinity
Would Protect Streams.
The District has many creeks,
springs and woodlands which ought
to be preserved, the survey showed
Mr.. Hull. He instanced the head wa
ters of Piney Branch, where dump
ing is going on in the vicinity of
18th street and Arkansas avenue.
Such filling in" will dry up streams.
he continued, and lose TO the Dis
trict scenes Of beauty of inestima bic
value.
The necessity of approaching the
park and playground problems of the
National Capital from broad, ar
tistic and humanitarian standpoint,
as well as from simply an engineer
ing one, was stressed by the lands
cape architect.
The center of District population
Is shifting northwest, he pointed out,
making more and more necessary the
securing of certain level open spaces
of LEnfant provided for certain
spaces in the older sections, but
north and northwest of Florida
avenue little provision has been
made.
Would Beautify Approaches.
Wonderful possibilities in park de-
velopment exist in the chain of old
forts. he said. Adequate plans, taking
IN these old battle places, would open
up Fort stevens and other sites to the
people. In his trip, Mr.. Hull had to
go over muddy roads to get to Fort
he declared, such a historic site would
lie visited by thousands yearly, where
as here it is neglected
Railroads running their lines into
the National Capital ought to be in
terested in proposition to create a
inner environment along the right of
ways near and in the District. Mr..
Hull said. Bare spots and places now
occupied by unsightly houses might
easily be made into safeguard ed play
grounds, which would beautify and
help whole sections, and at the same
time make a more pleasant impress
sion on the person coming into Wash
ington.
The National Capital. Mr.. Hull
pointed out, is more and more. becom-
ing a center for the sightseer,s of the
entire nation; and all such visitors,
especially those who come here for
lbe III 81 IIlIIcr nave DulIL up In their
minds eye a picture of the federal
city.
The need. then, of making the city
as fair as possible along the roads of
steel. over which visitors mostly come,
is paramount, Mr., Hull feels. Since
Washington is not an industrial city,
he continued. the problem of beauti-
1FlEg the rail approaches does not
present the difficulties encountered in
similar work in other cities.
Urges Island BE Secured.
By all means. Analostan Island
Mr.. Hull said. The Park Commission
law and the resulting possibilities for
money TO carry on the work, he feels
IS not only goingSto result in great.
things here. but. will do much toward
giving other, American cities an inn
petus along similar lines.
Washington has a wonderful com
binauon of river. woodland and open
meadows. Mr.. Hull declared. and now
has the opportunity to preserve the
Washington and LEnfant.-. 1t must
not and will not, fall short in max
ing the most of the chance.
Mr.. Hull is graduate of the class
and did graduate work at Harvard
University in town planning Dur
ing the war he was in the construc-
tion division of the Army. working
on camp and hospital planning. He
has been with the national park
service for the past four years.
Director Mather Of the park service
feels that work already done in his
bureau may be utilized in the plans
for the compreh ehensive development
of the park and Fairgrounds system
of the National Capital. Especially
is there need, Mr.. Mather believes.
for bettering the camping place Of
the auto tourists who come here.
The national park service feels
that it is fortunate, in the work 1t
may do for the local park situation.
10 have aa q aasiStant director A r