Evening star., 1934-04-11
NEW WPARKSP[AN
NOT TOBE HALTED
Officials to Carry On, Al.
though No New Funds
Have Been Provided.

Although new funds are lacking
in the District supply bill to carry
forward the Capper- -Cramton park
purchase program, oficials Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission today denied that this
means the death of the plan. under
which the District would be supplied
with adequate parks and Fairgrounds.
the nearby valleys Of Maryland would
be developed as park areas and the
George Washington Memorial Park
way created southwark from Great
Falls to Mount Vernon and Fort
Washington.
The reporting Of the District appro-
priation bill for the 1885 fiscal year
revealed that only $531,21l.94 is rec
commended under the Capper-Cramp-
ton program, a sum that represents
the final outstanding repayment by
the District to the Federal Treasury
of moneys borrowed under the plan
At present about 100000 Of land
purchase funds appropriated for the
Park and Planning Commission is i'm
pounded in the Treasury by orders of
the budget director 1t is expected
that this will be released shortly, as
obligations fall due.
Work 10 Be Carried On.
Thomas w. Settle. secretary of the
Park and Planning Commission, in
sisted that the failure OF the House
Appropriations Subcommittee to rec
ommend new funds for the park and
playground program does not mean
that the plan has been scuttled.
1T is not dead at all" he said. We
expect to go ahead with the George
Washington Memorial Parkway. In
the District. We plan to put a play
ground within quarter of a mile of
every child and a recreation field
within a mile of every child. This
program will be pushed as soon as
more prosperous times are here and
the Government can afford the
funds"
Settle pointed out that although
land-purchasing activities Of the COM
mission have been slowed down re-
works programs have enabled the
Government to push forward the
work to completion more rapidly than
at first anticipated.
Altogether $4,000 900 has been ap-
proprlated by Congress under the
Capper act The whole
program called for the expending of
sl6,000,O0 in the District for parks
Fairgrounds and recreation centers.
In addition. some $4,000. 600 has been
programmed for developing Cabin
John, Sligo and Rock Greek Valleys
in nearby Maryland as park areas and
also for the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway.
$3.5OO.OOO Spent.
To date little over s3,500,00 has
been spent in the District. In the So
called interior" Maryland parks. en-
bracing the nearby valleys. $500 900
has been expended, while sl00 900 has
been spent tor the George Washing
ton Memorial Parkway.
At first the Budget Bureau ordered
the impounding of 100000 of COM
mission funds. including those for the
puICIldSc VI ldIlU. AS tuIlt WcllL VII,
however, this stringency, imposed last
Spring, was relaxed and funds were
released for the closing out of obliga-
tions already incurred by the Federal
Government, mainly in Maryland
Originally $l,000,000 was to have
been appropriated annually under the
measure, the District paying an equal
sum to the Federal Government in
reimbursement. The Capper- -Cramton
act was passed on May 30, 1890. and
in the calendar year 1890 $1,000. 900
was appropriated by Congress. Then
in the fiscal year 1922 $4,000 900
was appropriated as continuing
fund. On this the commission has
been conducting its business since, the
District repaying the money at the
rate of 81 1000 600 annually.
Inasmuch as the pending District
measure would appropriate $751;
2ll9 this will wipe the slate clean
as far as the municipalities obliga-
ton to the Federal Government Is
concerned.