Evening star., 1924-12-05
POTOMAC PARKWAY
PROJECT DELAYED
100000 Asked for Con-
Meeting Link With Rock
Creek Is DiSaIIOWed.

One of the important connecting links
in the Rock Creek-Potomac Parkway
will be delayed for another year in
the deleting by the bureau of the bud
get of an appropriation of 100000
recommended by Lieut.. Col. Clarence
o. Sheriff., officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds, for the con-
struction of a sea wall from the north
boundary Of West Potomac Park to
a point on a line with G street. I'm
til this work is accomplished there is
no means Of connecting the parkway
on the water front.
Construction now is going on of a
seawan on the north end of West Po-
tomac Park, but north of this the land
which will be made part of the park
way is under water, and ii cannot be
reclaimed for park purposes until
Congress provides the appropriation
for the sea wall. While the bureau of
the budget crossed it off the list as
sent to Congress, there Is, OF course.
the possibility, that it might be re-
instated.
Other Plans Are Upset.
There were several other impor
tant projects which were recommend
ed by Col. Sheriff.. but which the
Budget Bureau did not see fit to send
on to Congress. One Of these was the
Improvement of Bladensburg road
central parkway. In the repaving OF
this roadway, the central portion,
formerly occupied by the railway
tracks, was left unpaved, and is in
a dangerous condition. 1t is the plan
eventually to put in a parking and
coping there so as to divide the two
lanes of traffic. in the manner IN
which Maryland avenue northeast
hou fyaa I'D No nctiy q 10 ~
$4,000 for this work was disallowed
by the Bureau of the Budget.
Meridian Hill Park is in need Of
improvement and the Office Of public
buildings and grounds asked $102, 440,
which the Bureau of the Budget cut
to S27,440.
There were two estimates for bath
ing beaches, one for the publication
of water and the Improvement of the
bathing beach on the south bank of
the Tidal basin, for which an appro-
which was cut by the director Of the
budget to $4,000, and the other an
estimate of $4,000 for the same pur-
poses in connection with a bathing
beach on the north bank of the basin,
and the latter was disallowed.
Field House Fund Killed.
In East Potomac Park an appropria-
tion of $225,000 was asked for COM
pleting the construction of the field
house but it was disallowed, as also
was an estimate for widening exist
ing roadways in this section of the
park, amounting to $4,000. The re-
quest for the Improvement of a tour
ist camp, site not specified, was dis
allowed. The estimate was for $780,
600. The present site is declared to
be unsatisfactory.
The Bureau of the Budget did,
however, allow an estimate of $50, 900
for widening the inlet bridge in
West Potomac Park, but rejected
an estimate of $4,000 for the con-
struction of comfort station and
first-atd room in the terrace sur
rounding the Lincoln Memorial. 1t
also cut the estimate for the i'm
provement and maintenance of West
Potomac Park from $47,260 to s39,010
In Rock Creek Park the Bureau
Of the Budget cut the estimate for
improvement and maintenance from
s54S, $50 to s3s,945. and also cut the
estimate to cover increased cost of
park maintenance generally from
$4,000 to $61,730.
1t also cut the estimate of $50, 900
for improvement and maintenance of
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
to $4,000.
The appropriation for the improve
ment of the birthplace of George
Washington. at Wakefield, Va, from
s25,4S0 to S13,O80.
Effort was made to have a provi-
sion made for screening in the ele-
vator shaft and providing additional
hand railing in the Washington
Monument. There have been some
accidents owing to this condition, but
the Budget Bureau rejected the esti-
mate of $4,000 for this work.
There was serious cut in the esti-
mate for funds with which to lay ce-
ment and other walks in the various
reservations. The estimate was cut
from $15,70 to $4,000, and there also
was cut from S15,550 to S1O,55O in
the estimate for laying broken stone
coverings in the parks.
Among the other items asked by
the office of public buildings and
grounds and rejected by the Bureau
of the Budget were the following:
Improvement and maintenance of
the Mall, east of Ninth street, $4,000.
installation of a central heating plant
at the propagating gardens, $4,000:
provision of traffic-handling devices
in the parks, $1,000; survey of the
boundary line between the District
of Columbia and Virginia, $4,000; fund
for. removal of snow and ice, SIS. 900.
fund for replacing dead and decayed
trees and the construction of a new
drainage system in Lafayette Park.