Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17
1888 ESTIMATES
FOR PARK SYSTEM
RAISED 100000
Auditors Figures Show
Needs Will Require Total
of $3,427,845.
WASHINGTON CHANNEL
BRIDGE is PLANNED
More Police Requested for Pre-
vention Of Park De-
struction.

Construction Of q new bridge over
Washington Channel, southeast Of the
existing bridge and the Southern Rail-
way tracks at an ultimate expense OF
S275, 900, Is a feature Of the 1898 park
estimates, which call for total of So
427495. This is an increase of 1921, $50
over the 1882 appropriations Of $780,
e45.
or the total 81 900 900 must be ap-
propriated for purchase of park sites
under the Cramton act. The balance
goes for maintaining parks now in
lighting recreation facilities and sup
port of the park police force. The esti-
mates were made public yesterday by
District Auditor Daniel T. Donovan.
The new bridge, according to Lieut.
Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, director of public
buildings and public parks. will help
to eliminate one OF the most congested
trafic areas in the District. If it is
built, 1t will be possible to allow all
trafic coming into the District from
Virginia and points south to go over
the existing bridge and divert traffic in
East Potomac Park over the new bridge.
This would prove particularly useful
during the Easter rush of tourists who
want to see the cherry blossoms. and
during the speed boat regattas. which
are often held in the river of Hams
Point.
Col. Grant asks for seven additional
park policemen, which will bring his
force up to 81 men and would partial
1y account for an increase in the park
police estimate from s180,885 in the
1882 act to $197,405.
Property Destruction Increasing.
Evidence of destruction of public
property in the parks Is becoming more
apparent as the park area increases"
Col. Grant wrote With the present
inadequate force it is necessary to in
crease the length Of beats and to double
up certain ones in an effort to cover
as much area as Is consistently prac-
ticable. It has been necessary to work
the men as long as Is hours day
on some occasions and to take men
of their regular beats"
Gel Grant shows that in the last
four years $50 acres have been added
to the park system, an increase of u
per cent. This was contrasted with an
increase of only 20 per cent in the
number Of policemen. The increased
necessity for patrolling also is shown
by the growth in the attendance at
the various athletic events in the parks
year.
Col. Grant asks for $437, $50 for SAL
aries, as against S405,9o0 in the 1892
act OF this, $4,000 Is for raises and
the balance for the employment Of two
additional assistant civil engineers,
three junior civil engineers, one auto
mobile mechanic, three chaufieurs and
five laborers.
Under the item of general expense,
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parks, the tourist camp outdoor sports,
band concerts and the improvement OF
certain parks, Col. Grant asks for
$l.149, 400 in 1888, in comparison with
1858, 300 in the 1892 act. OF this,
$50, 900 is for the improvement of sec
tons of Anacostia Park as recreation
centers; 1921, 425 for improvement OF
the Rock Greek and Potomac Park con-
Meeting parkway: 100000 for improve
nient Of Meridian Hill Park, and S37, 900
for grading and improving the roadway
Of Rock Greek Park to the District line
Per Acre Cost Is Lower.
Defending this increase, Col. Grant
says that during the past 20 years the
cost OF maintaining the park system
has decreased from $225 to $165 per
acre. Meanwhile, he pointed out, the
population served by the area has In
creased so per cent. the number OF au-
tomobiles using park roads has increased
$50 per cent, the wage scale for day
labor has increased from $50 to $3.50
per day, the area of the park system
has increased 500 per cent, and the
number OF individual parks, 100 per
cent. Boston spends S493 per acre in
maintenance Buffalo 1892. Detroit 5000,
Milwaukee, 1857 and Rochester, N. Y
t24o, Col. Grant says:
An increase TO S45, 900 from $685. 900
n asked for outdoor sports on account
Of the insistent demand for athletic
facilities in the parks" During the
current year seven base ball diamonds,
five tennis courts, three foot ball fields,
one soccer field and number CT
smaller facilities, including QUOT
courts, sand boxes and the like. have
been added to the system. II is ex-
pected TO add more and improve the
base ball diamonds and other playing
fields now available.
A new item of 500, 600 is asked for
the beginning of construction of the
central drive in the Mall provided for
in the Mcmillan plan Of 1901, this work
to be done in conjunction with work
of the Federal Government in improv-
ing and enlarging the Capitol grounds.
Another new item OF 100000 is asked
for construction of two swimming pools
provided for in the act of February %,
1929, which authorized six such pools.
TWO of these pools already have been
constructed and are overcrowded The
water Of all streams in the District are
30 polluted as to render them unsafe
for swimming. Col. Grant said. and the
operation Of properly supervised swim
MING uOOls will u'OPk az hum n