Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04


sides of the Potomac to Great Falls
and to the new Shenandoah National
Park.
The present session of Congress
also passed an act providing Tor
National Capital park and planning
for comprehensive de-
velopment OF the park and play
ground system of the National Cap
ital and to acquire sites in the en-
Of the Capital in the States
Of Maryland and Virginia to preserve
the flow Of water in Rock Creek and
to prevent pollution OF Rock Creek
and the Potomac and Anacostia
Rivers and TO preserve forests and
natural scenery in and about Wash
ington.
This commission is charged With
the duty Of developing and maintain
ing comprehensive. consistent and
plan for the National
Capital and it's environs.
Board Of Public Welfare.
One of the pieces of constructive
legislation passed by the outgoing
session Of Congress has established
the Board of Public Welfare to take
over the duties of the Board of Chart
dams and the trustees OF the Ma
tional Training School for Girls.
Under this Board of Public Wei
fare has been placed the administra-
ton of the fund to provide home care
for dependent children. commonly re
felred to as mothers aid. After "a
stubborn fight ii which II powerful
lobby from New York CITY attempted
TO impose upon the District a dis .
tiurt board for administering this
fund al the very time that efforts
were being made To consolidate all
such welfare activities under the
new Public Welfare Board. the plan
sponsored by a council of leading
welfare workers in the National cap
ita!. who had advised with an expert
from the Russell Sage Foundation.
was adopted by Congress. The first
Of $4,000 for home
care of dependent children is carried
IN the second deficiency appropria-
ton bill.
Capper Fight Wins.
The most exciting battle ot the en-
tire session on District matters oc-
CURED in the. Senate over the ques-
ton of whether home care for depend
ent children should be administered
by this board or by an independent
agency. The people of Washington
were practically unanimous for plac-
ing 1t under the centralized authority
of the welfare board, but out of-town
social workers had made strenuous
efforts to put through the idea of
this activity.
When the question first came to a
vote in the Senate the Districts own
plan lost by the narrow margin of
one vote, but Senator Capper, chair
man of the District committee, con
tinued to fight for the bill he knew
the people of the city wanted. Sena
tor Blease Of South Carolina afforded
the chance for a second vote by NOV
ing a reconsideration and the Capper
plan finally succeeded. The House had
already agreed to the bill for IL sep
arate agency, but satisfactory com
promise was reached by providing
that "a standing committee be created
within the welfare board to handle
this problem.
Senator Capper also worked strenu-
ously in steering the traffic bill
through the Senate, where several
members objected to certain features.
After several days of constant effort
he got the bill in shape that was
acceptable to those who had OPP
posed it.
As an important aid in the educa-
tional work of the National Capital,
Congress passed an act giving COM
prehensive, substantive law for the
free public library and reading room
with provisions 50 that the benefits
of the library system could be eX-
l@1 oil vfA Of a
City and to make It an effective
supplement OF the public educational
system of the District.
Bathing Pools Appropriation Lost.
The measure providing for estab-
lishment of two artificial bathing
pools or beaches in the District be
came law on May 4. but the $345.
was not carried in the second def
cheney appropriation bill. because the
location of the pools had not been
definitely determined and at a re-
cent meeting of the Park and Plan
ming Commission a resolution was
adoDted favoring a distributed sys-
tenn of bathing pools TO be located in
proximity to the large centers of
population in connection with other
recreational facilities rather than the
construction of two large municipal
pools involving long transportation.
On May % an act was approved
providing for establishment of the
Shenandoah National Park in Nir-
ginia. The Secretary of the Interior
is authorized to accept title to the
land, which is to be purchased with
S1,2OO,000 subscribed by the State OF
Virginia and the Shenandoah Ma
tional Park Association. The mini
mum area for the Shenandoah Ma
tional Park, to be administered by
the National Park Service, is 250,00O
acres.
The act providing for an additional
wing for the District jail. which
carries an authorization of S30O,ooG
to be appropriated, was approved
on May %. This amount was re,
duced to S275,000 when the second
deficiency bill was passed.
Police and Firemen Rewarded.
An act providing for the payment
to retired members of the Ponce
and Fire Departments of the Dis
trict a balance on pensions due ana
unpaid from January /, 1911. to july
80, 1915, amounting to $6S,420, was
approved on April 13 and the FUNDS
were carried in the second deficiency
appropriation bill.
An act authorizing the Secretary
of War to permit delivery of water
from the Washington Aqueduct Pump
ing Station at the Dalecarlla Reser
voir to the Arlington County SAM
tary district, across Chain Bridge
was approved on April IA. This
means Il considerable revenue to the
District from sale of this water and
insures to the residents OF AIRING
ton County a safe water supply.
One of the most important bills
recommended by the District Com
missioners and which became law or
May %, provides for condemnation
of land for the opening, extension
widening and Strengthening Of streets
.,xo,,oo ~ood, or HIGHWAYS in ac-