Evening star., 1935-03-15
An Other States and Canada.
Experiment in Unification.

GApcIlmcnt III OuluCdtlou'
Four plans of organization to direct
activities of the proposed unified rec
feation system for the District were
advanced by the National Recreation
Association after its survey of the
local field, made at the request of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. It is improbable that
any of these plans could have been
effected without legislation, and it is
equally improbable that any of them
could have been effected Immediately
without jealousies incurred through
threatened loss of power or prestige.
None of the agencies now controlling
recreation activities in the District is
willing to surrender its identity.
The temporary organization just
announced is compromise that seeks
to retain individual direction of
recreation facilities now vested in
the Board of Education. the Play
ground Department of the District
government and the National Capital
Parks Office of the Department of In
terror. but sets up a District of Co.
lumbia Recreation Commission-on
which the three agencies will have
equal epresentation-to coordinate
and generally to control and pool the
use of facilities and personnel. The
formation of this commission is GER
tainly the best solution of problems
presented at the outset in any scheme
of reorganization 1t is the direct
result of the Presidents letter of last
month to Secretary IckeS, and to the
Commissioners and Board of Educa-
ton, in which he practically directed
that such steps be taken, to the end
that "a method of administration be
evolved that would provide maximum
i human use of these properties, thus
making a greater contribution to the
health and happiness of our citizens"
The Presidents interest in the mat
ter was based, in part, on the findings
of the experts that under proper
unification the same properties and
the same staff could secure one-third
greater results. Surely this is an
achievement worthy of our earnest
efforts"
Under the plan an executive will
be engaged to administer the joint
use of recreation facilities under the
newly formed commission. His salary
will presumably ccme from some OF
the funds allotted to the National
Capital Parks Office from the P. w. A.,
or else from funds of the quasi-public
Welfare and Recreation Association,
for no appropriations for that purpose
exist. In this fact there may be
found evidence of trend, already
manifested in previous steps, toward
eventual, complete liberalization OF
the District recreation facilities. But
as basic control over all these facilities
now rests exclusively with Congress,
possessing the appropriating power,
control by citizens of the District,
deprived of representation in Congress,
is little more than figure of speech.
Local citizens do not possess the power
that comes with ability to spend the
money they pay in taxes. The hope
of a unified recreation system is that
there may be accomplished some OF
the desirable improvements which
divided administrative control has
failed to accomplish in the past; that
a vigorous, centralized. administration
responsive to local sentiment through
citizen representation on the con-
trolling agency-may meet the objec-
tive which was held out as the aim
of unification:
BY the adoption of unified plan
for the administration of its expand
ing recreational system Washington.
the Capital City of the Nation, can
serve itself best and can at the same
time set an example to other cities in
the country in intelligent, adequate
and sensible management of its
recreational system.