Evening star., 1932-04-25
Economical Park Expenditures.

In its consideration of the District
appropriation bill the Senate subcom-
mittee should study carefully the ef-
fects of the amendment, accepted by
the House at the suggestion of Mr..
Collins of Mississippi, which eliminates
further expenditures by the Park and
Planning Commission under the Capper-
Cramton bill. Mr.. Collins was un-
doubtedly actuated by a sincere desire
to effect savings wherever they are
possible, but he was obviously misin-
formed as to the nature Of the expendi-
lures that he proposed to block. A
careful study of the facts raises doubts
as to whether it would be sound econ
omy to cut the commissions funds
short, leaving it, as it we're, in midair
and with no place to land during the
lean years that are ahead.
The failure to follow up last years
appropriation of $4,000, 900 under the
terms of the Capper -Cramton bill
which authorized $16,0o0,ooo to be
spent by the commission for park, park
way and playground development and
to be repaid by the District at the rate
of a million dollars yearly any
appropriation for the next fiscal year
might be justified. But the commission
has not spent all of the S4,000,000 ap
propriated for the current fiscal year.
It carefully set aside a fund of less
than a million dollars with which to
wind up a number of negotiations en-
tered into with Maryland, Virginia
and some individual property owners.
Whether the negotiations reached the
final stage of formal contracts is not
important. But they have been con-
Quoted in good faith and on the as
sumption that money already appropri-
ated would be available for expenditure.
The Collins amendment to the District
bill would prevent the spending of this
balance, although part Of the balance
might be interpreted as formally obli-
gated. even if the money has not been
drawn from the Treasury.
Liz OdAlbcl vi CuLIIilB Oll IIllS IcSlOuc
now, with no other appropriations in
sight, lies In the nature of the trans
actions for which it would be used. Vir-
ginis's Legislature appropriated money
toward the purchase of land for park
use on the Virginia side of the Key
Bridge. The Park Commission had ex-
peeted, with the help of Arlington
County, to complete the long con-
templated purchase of this land, saving
1t from commercialization as an oil tank
farm. If the purchase cannot be COM
pleted, the Federal Government will
either lose permanently valuable link
IN the future park system, or will be
forced to recover it at some future date
at heavy expense. There are, in addi-
meet the Federal Governments share
OF Maryland park purchases. The
Federal Government, even If it could
do so legally, should be morally restrain
ed from backing cut of its agreements
The commission has informally conclud-
ed understandings for the purchase of
many small plots of ground needed to
complete park or parkway projects. If
they are not bought, the owners will be
within their rights to dispose of them
for such use as filling filing
stations having become one of the
strong competitors of Uncle Sam in
purchasing key sites in the District.
1t would be an economical step to
permit the Park Commission to complete
such transactions through use of its
unexpended balance of money already
appropriated and otherwise to fortify
itself against the dearth of other funds.
Holding up the use of such money now
could be justified only on the theory
that hope of park development in the
Nations Capital has vanished forever
That, of course, is foolish. The depres-
sion and this necessary period OF
strtngency in appropriations brings a
pause. but not a complete stoppage of
everything or the undoing of much that
has been accomplished.