Evening star., 1934-12-07
RECREATION AREAS.
BEING EXPANDED
|. H. Weir Cites "Great
Strides" of Capital Parks
Office.


series OF articles on tn, report OF
L. H. Weir, expert of the National
Recreation Association, Uho has
suggested four plans for reorgan-
ization of the Districts recreation
system.
The National Capital Parks Office.
under Jurisdiction of the National
Park Service of the Interior Depart
ment, is making great strides" in
design and construction of recreation
areas and facilities, declares L. H.
Weir. recreation conSultant to the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, in his much-mooted
report favoring uniflcation of recrea-
tional activities in Washington and
its environs. This organization has
under its direct administration within
the District 1896 acres-approxi-
mately l3 per cent of the total land
area within the District-and l,207
acres in the regional area, ia of
them in Maryland and ,093 in Vir-
ginia, the author recites. He adds
that acreage in the regional area
will likely be greatly expanded in the
future"
Allied With Parks Office.
The Welfare and Recreational As
sociation of Public Buildings and
Grounds, Inc, a quaSi-public corpora
tton organized under the laws of the
District. is closely allied with the
National Capital Parks office, and has
on its board chief clerks of various
departments of the Federal Govern
ment. 1t operates tea houses, SWIM
ming pools, golf courses, tennis courts
and the tourist camp here, among
other things, under fee system.
In design and construction of
recreation areas and facilities, the
National Capital Parks Office is max
ing great strides, as is revealed by
tables, showing, first, the different
types of active recreation facilities
and the number of units of each
facility provided; second, the areas
having active recreation facilities and
the facilities in each area, and other
activities not requiring special ia
cilities: third. the number of active
recreation facilities provided during
the past year" said Mr.. Weir.
Cites Benefits of Parks.
"One Of the widest recreation Serv-
ices rendered by the Park Administra-
tion is one that is not reducible to
statistics or measurable in any other
known manner. l refer to the park
areas as places where the people may
secure the benefits Of sunlight and air
unvitiated by dust and smoke; where
they may come into contact with the
soil and living things In nature, where
they can secure rest, relaxation and
refreshment under more or less nat
ural conditions and enjoy the beauties
of nature touched and untouched by
the hand of man. 1 believe it to be
q distinct recreation service also to
provide places where people individ-
ually can get away from too close con-
tact with their fellows. No one knows
the extent of this type of service rem
dered by great open space system
like that of the National Capital, but
it probably exceeds that of all other
types of uses put together and will
probably always be so, even under the
most highly developed forms of organ
ized active uses of the properties.
These intangible, unmeasurable
services of a great park recreation
system are of far more profound sig
nif1cance in the human welfare of an
urbanized population than is generally
recognized. Because these services are
80 important and valuable, biologically
and for other reasons, as an antidote
to the devitalizing influences of the
living and working conditions of an
urban environment, iberality in the
extent of spaces, especially spaces of
the large park and forest-park type,
should not be construed narrowly
My own Judgment is that our stand
ards as to the total amount of spaces
of these types both within and in the
environS of our cities is entirely too
low"
Received District Aid.
Speaking of budget cuts. Mr.. Weir
said: The sharp reduction of the
total budget taken with the increase
of acreage of properties and the num-
ber of improved acres would have rem
dered the operation and maintenance
of the department very difficult indeed
for the past three years if it had not
been for the aid received in labor
through the District Unemployment
Committee.
1T is to be noted that the salary
range, especially in the higher admin
istrative ranks, is low compared with
the salary range in other large cities
Of this country"
Mr.. Weir, commenting that the or
ganization of the National Capital
Parks Office, while conforming gen.
orally to most up-to-date municipal
organizations. has certain illogical
relationships such as the work of the
construction division and recreation
division being interviewer with general
park maintenance activities. He de-
clared that there should be one gen.