Evening star., 1927-12-08

Nt
the ornjthoiogical and biological stand
point, as well as affording an iavesting
opportunity for comparing different
kinds Of vegetation growing toCetner
in tho same area. For over % years
almost continuous records have been
kept of the fauna and flora. and many
geological studies have been made of
the area, so that ii has a special value
az a great nature laboratory with un-
usually long continuous records"
The commission points out that
study of the area within % miles
of the Capital shows that it contains
lands for residential purposes which
will accommodate $500, 900 people. and
that while this population is not eX-
pected within rs years, adding that
acquisition for parks and Fairgrounds
must he made promptly, as delay will
mean great waste at public ex-
pense, to say nothing of the possi
bility of destruction for park pur-
poses.
Appropriation Urged.
The commission urges some plan be
devised for providing large sums of
money promptly for the acquisition of
lands, saying:
THE commission finds that in the
quarter century since the Mcmillan
Commission made It's report the area
of park land in the District of Column
bia has been increased only "a per
cent. while the population has in
creased nearly 20 per cent, and the
assessed value of land 24O per cent in
the same period: that is. the increase
of park area has been only about
one-third of the increase as rapid as
the increase in the value of land
Economically. the delay in acquiring
land is therefore extravagant, as well
as failing to provide for the needs
of the population. The commission
estimates that if funds can be made
availa BILE at a rate of 1000. 900 to
So 200, 900 year, the needs of the
Capital for park land should be rea-
sonably provided for in. five years,
after which appropriations could be
reduced to what is necessary to pro-
vide for strictly local needs that can
not now be foreseen. If the present
rate of appropriations is adhered to,
the cost of providing the needed park
space will be very much greater and
complicated by much more interfer-
ence with private development; to
proceed in this manner is uneconom-
ical and therefore inadvisable. Not
only will some of the land needed for
parks cost many times as much ir
future years, as it increases in value
and becomes covered with buildings
or other improvements, but it will lose
much of it's desirability for park pur-
poses by the destruction of beautiful
forest trees and by being graded into
flat uninteresting areas by real estate
operators.
H. T.
park land must continue to be -ap-
prOpriated from the funds for the
District of Columbia, and if they can
not be substantially increased, then
it would be good constructive econ
omy to secure the loan of the amount
needed for the least expensive way
of making the purchase, under terms
permitting of amortization of the
debt within a term of years, with an
annual appropriation not exceeding
that now authorized. AS the pur-
chase of land is not a, continuing or
renewable expense, but Is, in fact,
capital investment, the circumstances
in this case appear to justify bond
issue; the cost of retiring the bonds
in approximately 80 years, plus the
interest and the commissions annual
administrative and planning expenses
being so regulated as not to increase
materially the burden on the tax
payers of the District of Columbia.
Similarly, the problem might be
solved by a loan from the United
States Treasury to the District of
Columbia and it's liquidation by an
nual installments.
This commission does not presume
TO say which method should be
adopted, feeling this is question of
fiscal policy outside the purview of
its duties; but it does feel called upon
to point out the shortcomings and
probable costliness of the methods
now imposed upon it, with such solu
tons of the problem as are evident
to it,