Evening star., 1935-05-26
MILLION ALLOTTED
FOR PARK WORK
Meridian Hill, Mall and Ar
Iington Entrance lncIud-
ed in Program.
(Continued From First Page.)

W. A program, Secretary Ickes
slashed red tape to avoid the necessity
of submitting The park schedule first
to the Application Board, headed by
Frank C. Walker, and subsequent ap-
proval by the Works Allotment Board.
Since the authorized work on the
parks does not come within the scope
of the new S4,800,000000 work relief
program. Finnan said he would follow
the former procedure of securing labor
through the local United States En-
ployment Service instead of direct
from the District relief rolls.
Program Fitted to Funds.
Park officials fitted the program to
the s1,000,000 allotted. with the most
imperative needs in mind, and culled 1t
from the general S13 900, 900 program
submitted last Winter to P. w. A.
Finnan was enthusiastic in halling
the program as not only the largest
single sum given for park improve
ment. but also as making possible
the correction of hundreds Of neglected
details in the small park areas.
The thing 1 like best in this pro-
gram is the rehabilitation work that
can be accomplished in connection
with the small parks Finnan said.
1T puts this ng-neglected work at
least 20 years ahead, in keeping with
the advance made generally in the
park system Some of these small
parks and reservations are in terribly
dilapidated condition for want OF
money spent elsewhere. Walks IN
MANY of them are completely worn
out and nothing has been done about
replacing the soil in others for the
last so years. Much of this work we
can start right away.
THE $4,000 for tree surgery du-
plicates the program recently COM
pleted. Under the old program over
5000 fine trees were preserved and
made safe in the downtown parks.
The new work will be done chiefly in
the outlying areas although practically
none of it involves Rock Greek Park. y
Commission Approves.
Approval has been given all the pro-
posed changes and designs by the
Fine Arts Commission and the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. The plans for the Mall
likewise have he sanction of the
committee in charge of enlargement
of the Capitol grounds. which is in
terested in the development.
The special treatment to be ap-
piled to Lafayette Square is designed
to afford an unobstructed vista OF the
White House from upper Sixteenth
street This will necessitate the trans
planting Of several trees in the line
of vision on the north
Some Of the old winding foot paths
through the square are to be ellmi-
mated. new trees and landscaping
added Paths from the four corners
of the square will lead into a new
oval shaped walk completely circling
the park within short distance of
its borders. These changes. officials
believe. will greatly enhance the
natural beauty of the park which is
in reality front yard for the White
House. New top soil is to be pro-
vided
The proposed completion of Meri-
dian Hill Park and the memorial ap-
proach to Arlington National Gene
terry fill a long-felt need in Wash
ington.
The plans for Meridian Park in
clude a service entrance on Sixteenth
street, completion of the lighting sys
tenn, a great deal of landscaping and
the planting of the lower terraces. A
lighting system will be installed for
the cascades, similar to the night il
Elimination of the fountain between
the Capitol and Union Station. De-
tails of this have not been worked
out.
Entrance to Be Completed.
Completion of the Arlington Gene
terry approach will give the motoring
public access to the marble hemicycle
entrance. The boulevard leading to
the entrance from Arlington Memorial
on both sides will be completed and
seeded, with an ornamental hedge.
The construction of the so-called
dixie along Constitution avenue actu-
ally involves a general regarding OF
the Monument Grounds. Because the
monumental Federal buildings could
be seriously damaged by high water
the United States engineers proposed
the regarding to bring the elevation to
19 feet. In other words it will raise
the general level five feet by gentle
slope. This will scarcely change the
visible appearance of the grounds.
Since the regarding extends to the
area in which the two swimming pools
are located. these pools will have to
be filled in anc located elsewhere. No
definite sites have been chosen, al
though park officials said that one
would be replaced in Georgetown,
either in connection with the play
ground on Volta place or near the
old car barn site at the west end
Of the P Street Bridge
The other pool is to be placed in
the Southwest, probably in or near
the Hoover playground at Second and
N streets.
Probably the most important of the
proposed projects is the work to be
done in the Mall, for this will COM
plete the landscaping in conforming
to the new parkway from Union
Square to the Washington Monu-
ment with the earliest plans for the
Mall The two large smokestacks
SPECIAL NOTICES.
NJ(1r- ry77 nTC1ONCIrI IOT,