Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-07
PARK MAINTENANCE
FUNDS ARE URGED|
: Expansion Increases Need
.sT for Extra Care, Grant
EyMgt Tells Meeting.

I y washington's rapidly expanding park
system, now comprising APO acres
should be given more adequate main
kenance for its numerous reservations TO
provide for the necessities of park space
In this growing National Capital, &C
cording to Lieut.. Col. u. S. Grant, Sd,
director of the Office of Public Build
ings and Public Parks of the National
Capital.
Importance of maintaining the small
or park areas throughout the city,
where the great mass of the public gets
the most benefit, was stressed by Col.
Grant and others of his. office at
meeting of the National Capital Com
Snittee of the Garden Club OF America
in the home of its chairman, Mrs
Frank B. Noyes, 1889 Vermont avenue.
Expansion of the City's park system
has progressed at rate far in excess
of the rate of increase of funds for
upkeep of the parks, Col. Grant eX-
planned.
Although an Increase Of about $4,000
was provided for the maintenance
funds this year. he said, I'VE are still
very much behind in maintenance.
Especially, he stated, was the care OF
trees in need of further attention. One
extra gang had recently been organized,
however, and was giving attention. to
Outlines Park Progress.
Outlining the progress of park de-
Velopment generally throughout the
country, Col Grant explained that
other cities were finding that with the
growth of population, parks were be-
coming more and more necessary Tor
relief. New YoEk City, he cited as an
example, saying that lack of an earlier
- NJ resulted
in a recent Appropriation Of $28 5000, 600
for parks, while the city OF Chicago has
spent $50, 100000 in the past six or
seven years for parks.
Where cities grew without parks, he
said, they had found it necessary to "go
back" and try to provide for them the
best they could, at great expense.
Says Park Need Acute.
"The need for parks" Col. Grant said,
s'has been made more acute by automo-
biles, which have driven the children
from the streets and made the streets
generally less peaceful"
With the present coming in the Dis
$rict of Columbia, he thought this city
could hold many thousands more When
filled, and the park expansion system
now under way, for providing PARK lanoS
both within the city and in the lmme-
(iiate euyironS, was to take care OF the
growing needs for park and open spaces.
while Congress has been fairly gen.
eroils in APPROPRIATIONS for new improve
Ynents in park lands" Col. Grant SAID,
ait has not been so ready with main
tenance funds"
Maintenance Cost Low.
Referring to statistics gathered in his
office, Col Grant explained that main
tenance now Is lower per acre than ever
before. Confronted with higher wages,
higher cost of all materials, including
trees, bushes, shrubs and plants, ne salo
his ONCE found it increasingly dlfncult
TO "keep house" in the city's rapidly
growing parks.
Owing to the development OF new
sections of the city, Col. Grant ex-
blamed that his ONCE was receiving for
Improvement and upkeep triangular
spaces at street and avenue intersections
at the rate of about 40 year. The
glnkeep of these little places, he SAID
was costly. on account of their number
and scattered location throughout the
city.
Play Croquet in Parks.
Citing croquet as a popular" game
IN fine marks. the speaker said the pub
lie might be surprised to know that last
wear nearly 1000 persons played the
game before an audience totaling about
10000 SPECTATORS. So popular had the
game become in Meridian Hill PARK,
for instance, he said, that the croquet
grounds were lighted for playing al
night in. the Summer time.
"As the number of acres turned over
for parks increases" Col. Grant said,
Eve must have a corresponding increase
In appropriations for maintenance.
In developing and caring for parks
In the city. Col. Grant said, his office
had received appreciated advice and
help from many other branches OF the
Government, including the Department
of Agriculture, in many of its bureaus
Architect Speaks.
Conrad L. Wirth, former landscape
architect for the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, who IS now
assistant director of the National Park
Service, explained the findings OF an
extensive survey he made OF various
cities and park systems. He stressed
The difference between improvements
of park lands and maintenance" OF
old parks. He specifically stressed the
point that new Improvements should
20 forward only at such rate that
will allow already improved parks to be
prouerlys maintained" He favored pur-
chase of new lands under the expansion
system now rapidly forging ahead 70
acquire new park lands, but stated thar
these should be developed only as rapid
lv as maintenance funds could be pro-
Vided to give them proper care.
The city's park system has grown, he
explained, from TIT acres, conSlstlng
of 346 different reservations, In 1911, to
APO acres, made up of 670 reserva-
tions, in 1880. During this Same period
the appropriation for maintenance PEI
acre had decreased, he explained, from
1925 in 1911 to S165 in 1880. Only
three cities in the country had a lower
per acre maintenance, he reported
while most of them showed an average
of more than $500 an acre.
The little triangleS here in this city
he said. cost the most to maintain or
account of the fact they are SO far
apart. and the item of transportation
of caretakers, loading and unloading
Of caretakers and equipment, such a.
lawnmcwers, run up the cost. FER
acre maintenance of little triangles, No
said, ran from 5000 to $1,000 year
reservations from / to 5 acres COS
from $500 to 81 900 an acre; reSerVa-
tions from to 10 acres cost from $4O(
to 500 an acre, and the scale de-
ecended until parks of over 100 acres II
extent ran less than 500 an acre.
Mr.. Wirth thought it impossible
and unfair" to draw an accurate com
parison in figures of the cost per aer'
per capita, between Washington ane
other cities, because of the larger mum
Der of reservations here. He recon-
rnended that in drawing up estimates
on maintenance the parks be classified
as to sizes so that the costs could bt
more accurately specified.
Irving w. Payne, landscape architec
of the Once of Public Buildings anc
Public Parks, submitted to the gather
ing a number of sketches of the devel
opment of the smaller parks in the city
Spcludin0 FarrapIlt Park which 1t JUS