Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-12-03

erpert OF the Ndtlondi hecIeottob
Association, tDho has suggested four
plans for reorganization OF the Dis
trictS recreation system.
Four plans, each designed to achieve
unification of Washington'S scattered
recreational facilities, advanced by
L. H. Weir, consultant to the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, and a fifth plan suggested by
Arno B. Cammerer, director of the
National Park Service of the Interior
Department, leave the average citizen
in a quandary. Legislation will be
necessary to unscramble the present
situation, in the opinion of of11cials,
and give to Washington unified
system.
At present, the Playground De-
partment of the District government,
the Community Center Department of
the Board of Education, the National
Capital Parks Office-Successor to the
defunct Office of Public Buildings and
Public Parks-and the Welfare and
Recreational Association of Public
Buildings and Grounds, Inc, each has
hand in the recreational pie.
To iron out conflicting authority,
to achieve unity and give Washing
ton and its environS maximum recrea-
ton at minimum cost, Mr.. Weir, who
is an expert with the National Rec
reational Association, suggested that
one of these four plans be adopted:
Plan IA recreation commission
appointed by the District Commits
sioners
Plan PA recreation commission
appointed directly by the President of
the United States.
Plan ga recreation department
under the District Commissioners.
Plan A recreation department
Board of Education.
Mr.. Weir made no Official comment
on which of the four plans he thought
should be adopted here, preferring to
leave the choice to the citizens of the
District themselves. He urged that a
trained executive be placed in charge
of recreation and that a strong group
Of interested citizens be assembled to
guide the program.
At the open forum, conducted by
the Planning Commission, when the
report was submitted on Tuesday, No
vember n, Mr.. Cammerer suggested
that the three major groups con-
cerned-the Playground Department
OF the District, the National Capital
Parks and the Community Center De-
partment-get together, pool their re-
sources and draw up agreements for
unified system. and employ a trained
recreation expert.
Although Mr.. Cammerer indicated
that legislation for this would not be
necessary, in the opinion of other
Government officials the pay of the
recreation expert alone would neces-
state new legal working arrange
ments.
In the face Of conflicting viewpoints,
Mr.. Weir points out in his report:
In Washington, as in other cities
OF the country at the present time,
the total Of all recreation service and
facilities falls far below the general
public need. This makes it espe-
c1ally important to secure from in
adequate facilities and budget appro-
pirations the maximum of recreation
service.
"a major difficulty in the Washing
ton situation is the inability of the sew
eral agencies concerned with public
recreation to get this maximum rec
reation service with existing staff and
facilities. AS area expansion comes
IN accordance with the present plans
for the acquisition and development
of system Of recreation areas and
facilities for the city and its en-
virons, this difficulty will increase
Furthermore, the constant tendency
toward expansion of each of the three
agencies now active in the city leads
inevitably to certain overlappings,
duplication of administrative machin-
cry and friction
Difficulties Reviewed.
Among the difficulties presented by
the existing set-up, Mr.. Weir saw
these:
The necessity of presenting three
separate recreation budgets.
The necessity for maintaining three
separate maintenance organizations,
three separate Office organizations and
three separate advisory stats.
The division of the actual recrea-
tional leadership and guidance.
The fact that the supervisory stats
OF the several agencies cannot now be
used as unit wherever their services
could most effectively be used.
The complicated system of permits
and the point that the designing and
construction of areas and facilities
are being done by three different
agencies.
Mr.. Weir observed: obviously the
recreation interests and needs of the
people Of the District might be more
effectively met if, in recreation serv-
ice, there could be attained through
unified leadership, program planning
design, construction and mainte-
nance, the same high degree of unity
and efficiency that has been secured
through the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission in general
planning and in the acquisition of
areas for recreation"