Evening star., 1934-04-18
Funds for Parks Made 0p-
tionaI as King Introduces
Measure.
EARLY HEARING SEEN
TO SPEED PROGRAM
City Heads Given Power to De-
termine Projects to Be Un-
dertaken First.

With two last-minute amendments.
Chairman King of the Senate District
Committee this afternoon introduced
in the Senate the Commissioners pub
lie works bill, authorizing the District
government to borrow up to S2O,OOO.-
600 from the P. w. A. for various i'm
proVement projects and park develop
| ment.
One important change made bv
Senator King was to leave IL to the
discretion of the Commissioners to
determine whether all or any part Of
the 100000 allocated for park de-
velopment should be used at this time.
AS drafted yesterday. the bill stated
that out of the total sum borrowed
the Commissioners shall transfer to
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission the sum of S2,O00.-
/ 900 for purchase of parks and play
grounds"
Senator King changed this to read:
May in their discretion transfer 10
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission the sum of S2,O00,-
600. or any part thereof"
Park sum Optional.
This amendment is a partial recog-
milton of the minority views of Com
missioner Allen, who has indicated he
believes the other improvement prof.
ects are more urgent under present
conditions. The King amendment
would still allow the Commissioners to
allocate the park money or a part of
it, but would not compel them to
do so.
The other change made by the
Utah Senator gives the Commission
ers discretionary power to determine
the relative merits Of the various i'm
provement projects and which ones
should come first if the full amount
authorized is not loaned by the Public
works Administration at this time.
Even if all of the projects cannot
be undertaken Senator King said, L
believe We should proceed without de-
lay to make the improvements that
are urgently needed at the Lorton
Reformatory, erect a new tuberculosis
hospital and provide for some addi-
tional school buildings. would
place the more important items on
the list in this order"
Borrowing Authorized.
The bill, in substance. authorizes
the District to borrow from the Pub
lie Works Administration on the same
terms provided for other cities in the
industrial recovery act. namely. 80 per
cent in the form of an outright fed
eral grant and 70 per cent to be re-
paid.
Senator King said he would call
the Senate District Committee to-
gether before the end of the week.
PROBABLY Friday, to take up the bill.
DECISION to seek enactment of en-
aonng legislation was reached yester-
oay Dy the commissioners after a
3l2-hour conference with members of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. The bill represents
a compromise, since it included a pro-
posed 100000 fund for park ex-
panslon, to be made available to the
Planning body. Such a sum would
nave been credited, however, against
the sic, 100000 authorized expenditure
Tor parks under the Capper- -Cramton
act.
Some Already Spent.
Some s3.500,0OO already has been
expended under the act, but the 1885
budget Of the planning commission
does not carry any further appropria-
ton
Allen had announced prior to his
visit to the Capitol that he would file a
minority report, opposing the inclusion
of the s2OOO,00O item for park land
purchases. He insisted he is not op-
posed to spending of funds for pro-
vision of adequate parks and recrea-
tional centers, but that he feels
strongly that in these times of
financial stress such a sum should not
be spent because of the more urgent
needs of money for hospitals. schools
and other District construction pro-
jects.
Agreement Reached.
1t was understood after yesterdays
conference the spokemen for the plan-
ming commission and the Board of
Commissioners had reached tentative
agreement on the terms of the pro-
posed legislation. Frederic A. Delano.
planning commission chairman, how
ever, declined to make formal state
ment. other than to predict that an
agreement satisfactory to all interested
parties would be reached
Delano said the matter would be
taken up at a meeting of his group
tomorrow.
The bill has been drawn as a sepa-
rate piece of legislation rather than
as an amendment to the Capper-
Cramton act as originally proposed by
the District Commissioners. In sub
stance it provides:
Authority for the Commissioners to
borrow s2o,000,000 from the Public
Works Administration, 10 per cent Of
which is to be repaid.
That the District shall repay not
less than 100000 annually nor more
than 81 $50 900. with a definite provi-
sion that the Commissioners may in
crease the maximum figure at their
discretion. depending upon District
financial conditions.
That in years when Congress may
appropriate additional sums for park
expansion. under the Capper-Cramton
act, the Commissioners may. in their