Evening star., 1935-03-14
RECREATION BODY
PROPOSEDFORD.C. c.
Commission Would Pool EN-.
pIoyes and Facilities as
Experiment.
President Roosevelt's insistence upon

President Roosevelt's insistence upon
a speedy solution of Washington's S
tangled recreation problem yesterday
brought forth, under the guidance of
Frederic A. Delano. chairman Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, a projected District of
Columbia Recreation Commission that
will pool, as far as possible, exist
ing employees and facilities. pick a
superintendent and operate for j year
as an experiment.
The members of the new commits
sion will be Commissioner George E.
Allen. spokesman for the District Gov
ernment; Henry I. Quinn, prominent
attorney and member OF the Board
of Education, representing the Com
munity Center Department, and C.
Marshall Finnan, superintendent of
| the National Capital parks. Mr..
Delano will serve as chairman Of the
group. but without a vote. These men
evolved the new commission. after two
sessions. having been assembled by
Mr.. Delano after President RooSe-
welt had written to the interested
agencies suggesting that they get to-
| gether and formulate a unified pro-
| gram.
May Be Called "Co-Ordinator."
The District of Columbia Recrea-
ton Commission has not yet decided
whether it shall officially call IT'S op-
Grating officer a superintendent OF
'co-o -ordinator," but in any event. he is
to be the groups secretary and eX-
ecutive officer, by virtue of his post
The agency having jurisdiction over
facility first must give its approval
under the new scheme The Board
of Education has been insisting that ii
have full control over its own build
ings, which are used sometimes for
recreation, declining to turn over the
schools to the part-time jurisdiction
of some outside group. The board has
felt that it alone has the responsibility
Accordingly, in yesterdays agreement,
the requirement was written in that
the governing agencies must first give
| their Endorsement for recreational
| facilities before the lands can be SO
utilized
Announcement of the new Set-up
was made by Thomas S. Settle, Sec
retary of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, who sat in
with his chief on the formative SeS-
sions. He has been asked to serve as
temporary executive officer and will
receive applications for the job of
superintendent" or "co-ordinator' at
his Office, Room 1921 Navy Building.
The amount of the salary involved was
not revealed.
Approval Announced.
Mr.. Delanc called the meeting to
order in his Office in the Interior De-
partment, where the National Re-
sources Board is located, as he is vice
chairman of that group. Acting as
| neutral chairman, he first assembled
| the group late last month and then
evolved a tentative Set-up. Commits
sioner Allen later talked the matter
over with the District government
authorities. Mr.. Quinn laid the propo-
sition before his colleagues on the
Board of Education and Mr.. Finnan
spoke with his associates about the
plan. Yesterday, the trio was able to
announce that each organization
favored the set-up.
Appointment of the "superintend-
ent" of recreation under the ne" uni
fed system is expected to be made
shortly. Already recreational activi-
ties in the parks and elsewhere are
opening up.
I'VE are going after the very best
man in recreation that we can get
anywhere in the country" said Mr..
Settle today, "just as was done in
the case Of the new District health
oficer." .,...-..
Mr.. Settle made it clear that this
Is . distinct profession. Inasmuch as
the Chief Executive himself has taken
a hand in the situation, the officials
are particularly anxious to make the
best showing possible, Mr.. Settle ex-
poets the new superintendent would
be at work by May l. Each OF the
three agencies involved is to con-
tribute to the expenses Of the new