Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-01
Suggestion That U. S. Provide
Funds for District Studied
by School Officials.
REPAYMENT OF S50O,OO0
EACH YEAR is WANTED
Sites for New Buildings, Yards and
Branch Libraries Would Be
Bought by Loan.

A suggestion for an advance
$5,000,0 900 from the Federal Treasury to
the District of Columbia to finance the
carrying out of the recreation program
assigned to the public school system
and the libraries and to purchase other
school and library sites, as recon-
mended by the special committee
operating under the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission in the
annual report of the Park and Planning
Commission for 1880, is being studied
closely by school officials
The commission itself recommends In
its yearly review that provision be
made for the systematic acquisition of
sites Tor schools, school yards and
branch libraries in correlation with the
purchase Of park and playground areas
approved under the Capper-Cramton
act
Under the special committees pro-.
posal the $5,000,00o loan to the District
would De repaid without interest from
the combined revenues of the District
at the rate of 100000 a year, a figure
less than the annual appropriation for
this purpose for the past few years.
The average for the past "a months
was $545, 900.
FefSOuneI OF COmnnttee.
The recommendation Is made by a
committee representing the various
agencies concerned with the purchase
of public sites in the National Capital.
It's personnel included Mai. L. e. Atkins,
former Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner, representing the Commissioners,
chairman; DR.. H. B. Learned, Stephen
z. Kramer and Miss Sibyl Baker, repre-
senting the Board of Education; Mrs.
Susie Root Rhodes and Richard Tenny-
son. representing the playground de-
partment; DR.. George F. Bowerman
and Miss C. w. Herbert, representing
the Public Library trustees; E. D.
Hardy, representing the U. S. Engineer
senting the Office of Public Buildings
and Public Parks, and Charles w. Eliot,
I'd, representing the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
The committee points out in the re-
view that land purchases for both
schools and libraries ordinarily have
been carried in the budget estimates
under these respective headings, while
the actual purchases have been made
estimated that the projects in the rec
Feation system assigned by the special
committee to the schools will cost about
50, $685. 63, while the other projects of
the schools will cost about $1,274,168
additional. Similarly, the library items
of the recreation system are estimated
at $10,718 and other library sites at
1852, 124. This makes a total for
schools of $780, 31, and for libraries
S462, 842, with a grand total of
$4,343,673.
Recommends Advance.
I'm order to carry out the portion of
the recreation program assigned to the
agency and to purchase other school
and library Sites" it is asserted in the
report, "the committee recommends the
introduction and passage of bill for
the advance of $5,000,000 from the
Federal Treasury, to be repair, without
interest, from the combined revenues
of the District at the rate of 100000
a year, which is less than the annual
appropriation for the last two years
($545,000) for this purpose"
School officials today, while reluctant
to discuss at length the Park and
Planning Commissions proposal, ex-
pressed the belief that the recon-
mendation has real value" DR.. Frank
w. Ballou, superintendent, and Mr..
Kramer, assistant superintendent, and a
member of the commissions special
any plan proposed with the idea Of
making site purchases economic and
more expedient should be given very
careful consideration by the agencies
involved. They are at present making
a study of school site purchases and
building construction in an effort to
reveal the retarding features of the
present system of land acquisitions and
school construction.