Evening star., 1926-12-14

A campaign designed to convey to
Congress the necessity for beautifica.
tfon of the city's public school grounds
through the employment of an expert
landscape engineer, With necessary as
sistants, was enthusiastically launched
by $50 representatives of citizens, par
ent-teacher and other civic associa-
tions wo were gathered at the Frank
lin School last night at the semi
annual school budget conference.
The action. which was given con
crete form through the unanimous
adoption of a resolution introduced by
James G. Yaden. president of the
Federation of Citizens Associations
followed an appeal for support of the
landscaping project made by Engi.
neer Commissioner j. Franklin Bell.
I'VE muste get this movement
started" Col. Bell admonished. Il
feel the proper care and beautifica-
tion of school grounds is more impor-
tant than the attention given our
parks. 1t is more fundamental. There
are more persons involved.
'At the present time we have a City
Planning Commission which is doing
wonderful work with the parks. We
want the same kind of talent working
will be most practicable to ask Con-
gress for the appointment Of an eX-
pert landscape engineer, with assist
ants, who would be under the munich
pal architect and would cooperate
with the officials of the City Planning
Commission.
Il feel this is a work which must
be done, and l urge the support of all
assembled to help sell Congress the
idea"
DIR. Ballou Reports.
The talk of Col. Bell came at the
conclusion of the evenings business,
which was a report by aDr. Frank w.
Ballou, superintendent, upon the sue
cess of the Board of Education'S re-
quests for school appropriations for
1928 at the hands of the District Com
missioners and the Budget Bureau.
After hearing a detailed account of
how the boards requested appropria-
tions of S15.735,lS6 were trimmed to
$12,344.701 by the Budget Bureau, the
body, through a resolution introduced
by A. j. Driscoll, president of the Mid
City Citizens Association, indorsed
the program as a minimum and urged
that specific attention be given to the
resembling by Congress of the 25 per
Gent limitation, which promises to
hamper the purchase of school sites
and Fairgrounds.
In pointing out that the board's$re
Quested appropriation of $500 900 for
the Adams-Morgan School, at Nine
teenth street and Columbia road. was
cut by S5,000 that the Brightwood
Junior High appropriation of S275, 900
was also cut $1,000, while the Nor
gan School appropriation of 100000
mo g ant 60 NV Dol l.I
that these small appropriations are
for plans, and they mean that Con
gress in this budget is obligating it
self for construction amounting to
more than a million dollars
Complaints by representatives tof,
the E. B. Brown School concerning
overcrowded conditions at that point
drew from DR.. Ballou the frank state
ment that 'if / had my way no Dis
trict child would be put out by the
presence of Maryland children" This
statement provoked handclapping.
Edwin c. Graham, president of the
Board of Education, who presided at
the meeting, reminded the representa-
tives that there is no positive assur-
ance that Congress will actually enact
all of the items in the appropriation
bill, and he urged that they all support
1t until it is finally written into law.
Pared by Bureau.
1t was brought out during DIR. Bal
Iou'S statement on the appropriations
that the five-year building program is
q misnon1er now, inasmuch as it will
be impossible to put it through in less
than six years.
Following is statement showing
the items originally asked by the
Board of Education for buildings,
grounds, land sites and Fairgrounds,
the amounts granted by the Commis-
sioners, and, lastly, the amounts set
tied upon by the Bureau of the
Budget: