Evening star., 1934-08-19
j. S. OBTAINS PARK
OF $4,000 ACRES
FROM V|RG|N|ANS
Gift in Shenandoah Section
to Become National
Playground.
Nv the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, August 18.-A ma
tional park site Of $4,000 acres III
the Shenandoah region Of the Old
Dominion, bought and paid for largely
by Virginians, this week was given to
the Federal Government for develop
ment as a scenic national playground
for the Nation.
Signing of the deeds conveying the
property to Uncle Sam by Gov. Peery
and the acceptance of the property by
Secretary Ickes conditioned only upon
approval of legal documents by the
Attorney General constituted big news
In Virginia during the week.
Work Took Eight Years.
It consumated eight years Of work
on the part Of the Conservation and
Development Commission, which
worked hard with an original appro-
priation of $1,000,0 900 from the State
government, and an additional ST.
100000 from private subscriptions.
Work now Is going forward on the
completion of one Of the park 5
greatest scenic features - Skyline
drive.
One Of the big problems before
Government authorities working on
the project is caring for $50 families
still in the park area. It is planned
to erect homes costing less than $4,000
on 10-acre plots which the home
steaders will purchase from the Gov
ernment on easy terms. The Gov
ernment proposes to provide each
family with a barn, chicken house
and pig pen as well as a COW, a few
chickens and brace Of pigs.
DR.. Sidney B. Hall, State superin-
tendent Of public instruction, during
the week announced that SO Virginia
localities have provided for public
school terms of not less than eight
months for the coming school year,
thus actually inaugurating the long
sought minimum education program
in Virginia.
Until the remainder Of the III
localities Of the State provide terms
Of an eight-month minimum they
cannot expect any of the $1,000, 900
of State funds available for supple
menting local appropriations for in
structional costs, under the terms of
the minimum education program act
passed by the 1884 General Assembly.
Leaves for Charlottesville.
DR.. Hall made the announcement
as he left for Charlottesville for the
Federal Emergency Relief Admins
tration Regional Institute for Per-
sonnel Engaged in Adult Education
conducted under the F. E. r. A. The
institute, which continues through
early next week, Is for the personnel
from Virginia, Maryland, West Vir-
gtnia and the District of Columbia.
Gov. Peery reviewed the State Ma
t1onal Guardsmen at Camp Peery
Friday, attended the annual banquet
of the Virginia Clerks Association at
Virginia Beach Friday night, and to-
day was scheduled to speak at the
Roanoke Island celebration in North
Carolina, observing the 350th ami
versary of the founding of the first
English-speaking colony on the con-
tinent.
The annual White Top Music Festi-
val was presented atop the Southwest
Virginia mountains yesterday and to-
day. After a survey of business in
the State stores, the Virginia Alco-
hoic Beverage Control Board de-
cided it could drop "a clerks from the
personnel of As stores in operation.
The Federal State crop reporting
services reported July condition in
dicated a general improvement in all
Virginia crops with the exception of
those in parts Of the Shenandoah
Valley and a few districts in Northern
Virginia which needed rain.