Evening star., 1938-12-18
School and Recreation
Needs in Southwest
Are Outlined
Letter to Budget Bureau
Also Cites Police and
Highway Requests

asked by the Southwest Citizens
Association in a letter to Maurice
Collins of the Budget Bureau.
In the letter Harry S. Wender,
president Of the unit, outlined the
SouthWest's needs as follows:
School Requests.
l. Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Junior High School and Library:
a. In addition to $625 900 needed
for completion of the school build
ing it is urgently requested that
funds be appropriated for con-
struction of a modern instruction
swimming pool in the school build
ing, with facilities for throwing open
the pool to the sunshine during
summer months.
b. In addition to the $175,0OO re-
quired to complete the library por-
ton of the building it is requested
that funds be included for addi-
tional school and library personnel,
for operation from March / to
July /, 1910.
C. The request of the Board of
Library Trustees, $4,000 to pur-
chase an original stock of books and
other reading matter for the IL
brary, is approved.
d. Provision in this budget should
be made for furnishing free lunches
to students at Jefferson Junior High
School who are unable to pay.
e. A full-time nurse at Jefferson
Junior High School is badly needed,
and it is requested that provision
be made in the budget for this pur-
pose.
f. The request of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission for funds to purchase the
balance Of the two squares bound
ed by G, H, Seventh and Ninth
streets to be combined with the
Jefferson School site for establish
ment of a modern recreational area
is heartily approved.
Recreation Needs.
2. Hoover Fairgrounds:
a. Appropriation of the funds re-
quested by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission to
purchase the land Immediately to
the northwest of the Hoover Play
grounds at Delaware avenue and N
street S.W. is most urgent.
b. Additional personnel for Hoo
yer Fairgrounds, with minimum
of two seven-month employees and
one wading pool attendant, as re-
quested by the playground depart
ment, is absolutely necessary for
efficient operation of the ground
during the coming year, when the
new wading pool is placed into use.
Funds must be provided for aug
menting personnel to insure the
operation of Fairgrounds through
out the city on Sundays. holidays
and evenings where lighting facili-
ties can be made available.
c. Complete lack of facilities for
handling children during cold or in
clement weather in this portion of
Southwest causes us to thoroughly
support the request of the play
ground department for $4,000 to
construct a field house on Hoover
Playground. Such a building would
in no wise conflict with the proposed
Jefferson Junior High School recre-
alton center, as they are located
more than half a mile apart
Highway Plans.
g. Highway Department.:
a. This association, as the original
sponsor of a grade separation via
duct at Fourteenth and Maine ave-
nue. formerly Water street,, espe-
cially emphasizes its support of the
Highway Department request for
S25, 900 to permit detailed engineer
ing studies of this construction, an
ticipating the appropriation of work.
ing funds for the fiscal year 1941.
b. In partial compensation for the
closing of Sixth street by the Ma
tional Gallery of Art, it is urgently
requested that Seventh street be
widened between Constitution ave-
nue. NV. and Independence avenue
S.W. from SO to 76 feet as recon-
mended by the Highway Depart
ment.
C. Widening of Independence ave-
nue. throughout the length of the
Mall is approved.
d. Paving of Maryland avenue
from Ninth to Twelfth street and
Canal street from Pennsylvania ave-
nue. to E street, as recommended by
the Highway Department, is re-
quired.
4. Police Department.:
a. The need of an augmented po-
lice force to keep pace with the
growing needs of the city is fully
recognized and it is urgently neces-
sary that appropriation be made
so that at least 10 additional men
be assigned to No. precinct.
b. Motorcycle policemen should
be increased to minimum strength
Of 100 officers. A 10 per cent in
crease in the entire police force is
thoroughly justified by reason of the
city's growth and additional de-
mands upon the department for
traffic and special detail work.
S. Traffic:
a. We heartily support the Com
missioners' budget request for the
Office of the director of vehicles and
traffic. The increases provided are
wholly justified by the serious traf-
flc condition with which the city
is confronted. In no respect Is false
economy more apparent than our
refusal to recognize the necessity
for additional expenditures in pro-
motion of public safety.
b. Special attention is called to
the necessity for appropriation of
funds to provide traffic lights on
M street at Fourth and Sixth streets
S.W.
C. Funds for co-ordinating and
making uniform traffic signs and
signals throughout the District of
Columbia are approved.