Evening star., 1934-04-25
BOTANIC GARDENS
RESOLUTION 0. K D
House Library Committee
Favors Naming of Group
to Study Question.

national botanic garden in Washing
ton moved a step nearer to accom-
plishment today when the House Lii
brary Committee unanimously and
favorably reported the Keller resolu-
ton providing for appointment of a
special committee to study the whole
question and report to Congress its
recommendations.
The resolution, which was intro
duced by Representative Kent Keller
OF Illinois. chairman of the House
committee, names as chairman Of the
special committee to make the in
qulry Frederic A. Delano, head of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. Included in the mem
bership are Secretary Barkley, chair
man OF the Senate Library Committee
and OF the Joint Committee on Library
OF Congress; Keller, other members
OF Senate and House, and represen-
tatives of the garden clubs and hor-
tcultural societies of the country and
representatives Of the Department of
Agriculture.
Adoption Expected.
The resolution now goes on the
House calendar and Representative
Keller plans to call 1t up for early
consideration. Members of the Ii
5rary Committee said today that they
fully expected the adoption of the
resolution.
Demands for a botanic garden
which will be the equal If not the
superior Of any botanic garden in the
world have been made by representa-
tives OF the horticultural societies and
garden clubs. The present United
States Botanic Garden has been de-
clared to be entirely inadequate. The
first move toward Improvement was
the introduction Of a bill by Senator
Robinson of Arkansas. Democratic
leader, providing for the transfer of
the control Of the Botanic Garden
to the Department of Agriculture.
which is well equipped with scientists
to conduct such a garden. The
Garden Club Of America and other
garden and horticultural organizations
got behind the measure, and have
pressed strongly for its passage.
Resolution Wins Support.
The Keller resolution providing for
a special committee to investigate the
whole subject of the Botanic Garden
and make recommendations is re-
ceiving the support of the garden
people, who believe that it offers the
best and most intelligent way of deal
ing with the subject.
Representative Luce of Massa-
chusetts, a member of the Library
Committee and at one time its chair
man. said today that he had no doubt
the House would approve the Keller
resolution. He added that he con-
sidered the proposal for the creation
Of special committee to investigate
and report to Congress regarding the
development of the Botanic Garden
the ideal method Of dealing with the
matter. He pointed out that the per-
sonnel Of the proposed committee in
cluded the men best qualified to
make recommendations to Congress
what should be done. For many
years the Botanic Garden has been
under the sole control of the Joint
Library Committee of Congress
The proposed membership of the
committee on the Botanic Garden as
provided in the Keller resolution is
as follows:
Frederic A. Delano chairman Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission), chairman; Senator Al
ben w. Barkley chairman of the
Joint Committee on the Library, vice
chairman; Representative Kent E.
Keller chairman of the House Com
mittee on the Library, second vice
chairman; Senator Peter Norbeck
(member of Committee on Agriculture
and Forestry, Representative Robert
Luce former chairman of the House
Committee on the Library, Frederick
v. Coville (acting director of the Ma
tional Arboretum), B, Y. Morrison
(head of division of foreign plant in
PRODUCTION, Bureau Of Plant Industry,
Department Of Agriculture), William
r. Maxon associate curator, division
Of plants. Smithsonian Institution), C.
Stuart eager (director of the Brook
lyn Botanic Gardens, Leicester B.
Holland (chief, division of fine arts,
Library of Congress), Oakes Ames (di-
rector of the Arnold Arboretum,
Harvard University, George T. Moore
director OF the Missouri Botanical
Gardens, L. H. Bailey professor of
horticulture, Cornell University, H.
H. Bartlett director of botanical gar
den and arboretum, University Of