Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
GRANT POINTS WAY
TO ERECT BEACHES
Suggests Government Could
Save Cost by Granting
Concession.


Mai. L. s Grant, Sd. engineer Off
Ger in charge of public buildings ana
public parks of the National Capital.
has written to Chairman Zihlman
of the House District commi. tee on
the possibility of having the two bath
ing beaches--provided for in a bin
favorably reported to the House
erected without cost 10 the Govern
ment through granting = concession.
Maj. Grant, after reminding Chair
man Zihlman of the fact that diSad-
Vantages of granting concessions for
public recreat ional facilities have
been pretty we'll established. suggests
that the possibility OF having the
beaches constructed without cost to
The Government Is something which
should not he overlooked. One reputa
BILE firm. he states. has suggested the
likelihood of making an offer for con-
struction of the beaches.
Must Fix Charges.
Maj. Grant points out, however,
that previous experience has shown
that q private party operating con-
cession from the Government is sub
jected to endless pickering and com
for this being the fact that he musr
make charge for USE of the facili-
ties which will repay him for the in
veStment. If the Government built
the pools. it is presumed by Maj.
Grant that the charge would be only
enough to cover maintenance and
operation. Maj. Grant suggests that
a proviso might be entered in the bill
giving the director of public build
ings and public parks authority to
enter into a contract for erection OF
the pools without cost to the Govern
ment. and this would permit the TAX
ing Of bids.
Maj. Grant also asks that the bill
stipulate that one of the pools he for
the exclusive use of white persons
and the other for the exclusive use
OF Colored
The fact that construction is to be
gin within Il short time on the tour
lists camp fed house in East Po-
tomac Park. provided for by the last
Congress, has raised the point of
whether it would be most desirable
to have the camp located at the point
designated. or elsewhere. The site of
the tourist camp field house has been
suggested for one. at least, of the
bathing pools. In addition. the Com
mission of Fine Arts, while approving
the plans for the tourists camp field
house, has disapproved the site,
which is located just to the east of
the railroad where the present old
frame structure now stands. The
new field house would replace this
frame structure.
Proposed RecreatiOnal Spot.
The point is made that the Fne Arts
nj m = 81 no a hnt HI
spot should be left for development
as recreational center. The COM
mission had planned in addition to
bathing pools, several base bali dia-
monds, and part Of the golf course
system OF the park. and the entire
plot was to be beautified with avenues
and appropriate shrubbery.
If the new field house for the tourist
camp Is located in this spot, however,
the result is easy to imagine. While
the field house would be attractive
enough in itself, the surroundings of
the tourist camp are not. This fast is
emphasized by those who favor the To-
cation of the tourist camp elsewhere
because the present site is the very
first real glimpse Of Washington. and
parks. that greets the
eye of the tourist on the train coming
in from the South.
In the Summer, in particular, the
site presents long rows of automo-
biles. thanked by tents of all colors and
with their portable
kitchens blazing away and smoke
columns floating in the air. However
orderly those in charge of the camp
attempt to make the arrangements,
Of cars and tents, and other camping
paraphernalia, hard to lay out in or
1erly fashion.
Hidden From Autoists.
At the present time the camp is
hidden from travellers coming in by
automobile by the railroad embauk.
!nent and from those using the
Georgetown channel side of the river
side drive by closely planted trees.
but on the other two sides it is ex-
posed to view.
Orderly roadways have been con.
structed and improved AMI a wash
house for clothes has been erected, but
this Is of frame, and here the tourists
are provided facilities for washing
clothes and have an enclosed place in
which to hang them. Some effort has
been made to have uniform fonts by
providing at small expense tents al
ready erected and f1oored, hut many OF
the tourists use their own CONTINENT.
There is no specific direction in
previous laws that the camp be located
at this point. 1t just grew there, and
the first stamp of permanency came
in the last appropriation bill when
the money was provided for a perma-
nent field house, with the specification
that 1t be erected on the site of the
present camp. When this is erected,
1t is pointed out, the tourist camp
will become permanent fixture in it's
present location, and will crowd out
some of the recreation facilities pro-
posed for this site.
Although efforts have been made on
previous occasions to have the camp
moved to a place on the other side of
the Highway Bridge in Virginia, these
have failed, it was pointed out,
through opposition from various
sources.
The proposed new field house is to
be a one-story structure, conforming
in style and outside appearance gen.
orally to the field house located on
the golf links in East Potomac Park
The money has to be expended during
the current fiscal year, and construc-
ton work soon will have to begin, as
1t is estimated that 1t will require
about five months to build
operates like q hank The money in q