Evening star., 1935-01-17
WEIR FACTS FAIR
SAYS MISS BAKER
Chevy Chase Group Defers
Action on Report After
Address, However.

Commencing the Weir report as a
"fair, intelligent and complete" record
of the history and problems Of District
recreational facilities, Miss Sibyl Baker,
director of municipal Fairgrounds, last
night expressed the belief there is at
present a strong general feeling in
favor of some sort of coordination
between the three departments Of the
recreation Service-the Playground De-
partment, Community Center Depart
ment and the Office of National Cap
3tal Parks.
Addressing the Chevy Chase Cit
liens Association at a meeting in the
E. v. Brown School, Miss Baker said
District officials were amazed at the
interest exhibited by District residents
following publication of the Weir re-
port. She added they also were very
pleased
Lauds Council Move.
Miss Baker commended the Com
missioners for their action in appoint
ing a council, composed of District
residents with the heads of the three
recreation departments acting in an
advisory capacity. to study the report
from every angle. She said many
problems must be taken into consider
alton and declared that no debate will
be held on the report until completion
of all ''fact-Study" meetings.
Pointing out the fact that in 1924,
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission took over the di-
rection of the purchase of land for
Fairgrounds, even though the money
comes out of District appropriations,
Miss Baker said 1T makes little differ
ence to us who holds title to the land
as long as it is available for play
ground use"
c. Marshall Finnan. superintendent
of National Capital Parks, spoke Of
Washington's playground and park
facilities as better than in any city
of the same size" He declared, how
ever, the city must expand these
facilities in the outlying parts of the
city to take care Of an increasing need
for recreation service for people all
over the United States as well as
District and nearby residents. Richard
S. Tennyson, assistant director of the
Playground Department, spoke of the
many activities now carried on at
the Fairgrounds all over the city. He
said the District has been particularly
fortunate in securing competent and
intelligent instructors.
Action Is Postponed.
Following the speeches, the asso-
citation decided to postpone action on
the Weir report until further study
Is made.
Edwin S. Hege was unanimously
elected president of the group, succeed
ing George E. Strong. Other new
officers, also unanimously elected fol-
lowing the report of the Nomination
Committee, are:
Louis Radcliffe. first vice president;
j. r. Manning. second vice president;
Fred S. Lincoln, secretary treasurer,
and President Hege and Arthur Edel-
man, delegates to the Federation of
Citizens Associations.
The group adopted q resolution,
commencing the Capital Transit Co.
and the Public Utilities Commission
for their action in establishing addi-
tional bus service east of Connecticut
avenue. thus providing better trans
portation to Woodrow Wilson, Alice
Deal and Lafayette Schools.
A letter OF consolation was ordered
sent to the family of the late Siegfried
Won Ammon, formerly secretary of
the association, who was killed in an
automobile accident at Connecticut
and Nebraska avenues recently.