Evening star., 1924-03-06
HOUSE COMMITTEE
SEESPARK TRACTS
Members Visit Areas Pro-
posed for Purchase in
Company With D. C. Men.

Needs of the District park system
committee of the House District COM
mittee. which made a tour to pro-
posed park sites this morning with a
number of representatives of the
city's civic organizations.
The subcommittee under the chair
manship of Representative Ernest w.
Gibson of Vermont, was composed of
Representatives Edward NJ. Beers of
Pennsylvania. Gale Fl. Stalker of New
York. Thomas l.. Blanton of Texas
and Stanley H. Kunz of Illinois. The
members visited the Patterson tract.
Klngle Ford Valley tract and the
Piney Branch Vallty tract They
were accompanied by c. f. Consaul
of the Board of Trade, F. G. Coldren
parks. Evan H. Tucker. president of
the Northeast Washington Citizens
Association. and representing Fedora
tion of Citizens Associations, Prof.
Percival Hall, head of the Gallaudet
College. which adjoins the Patterson
tract; Melvin C. Hazen, the District
surveyor. and Harry Wardman. build
er, who has suspended building opera
tions at the klngle Ford tract in
order that Congress may have an
opportunity to purchase that tract.
Both Representative Gibson and
Representative Kunz declared that
Congress should have acquired these
lands long ago in the interest OF
Congress should not adopt penny
wise and pound foolish attitude to-
ward the District park system
However. there seemed to be diff
ference of opinion as. to which were
the most important pieces of land TO
acquire. Representative Blanton did
not seem impressed with the Piney
Branch proposal
The first place visited was the Pat
terson tract, and practically the entire
cut out of the tract of ffty-nine acres
by the bureau of the budget should be
restored.
Mr.. Wardman told the subcommit-
tee that although he did not want
the land he would, as an investment.
be willing to purchase the entire
lower part of the Patterson tract for
$4,000 an acre. A bill introduced
on January 7, by Representative Zihl-
over 100000 for this land. The
budget bureau cut out of the lower
section ten acres and reduced the
price to s150,Oo0. which members of
local civic organizations declare is
inadequate to purchase the land;
The party then visited the Piney
Branch Valley Park, which consists Of
an area of eleven acres to be purchased
under the bill at cost Of not more
than $685. 900, and areas for widening
Piney Branch tract west of 18th street
100000. From there the party
visited the Klingle Road Valley Park,
an area of eighteen acres, the pur-
chase price to be not over 100000.
The land for widening the areas of
the Piney Branch Valley Park west
of 10th street was also viewed by the
committee.
Mr. Wardman showed that he had
been offered land in the vicinity of
the Piney Branch tract ten or twelve
years ago for twenty-five cents a
square foot and that the same land
now cost $3.50 square foot. Mr..
Wardman with the other members
showed the subcommittee the build
ing operations that he had suspended
in order that Congress might have a
chance to acquire the Klingle Ford
tract, which would provide for con-
Meeting Potomac and Rock Creek
parks.
The subcommittee will meet to-
morrow morning at 10 o'clock in the
House District committee room to de-
eide upon their recommendation, which
will be placed before the full House
committee on Saturday.