Evening star., 1939-07-25
Barrett Studies
New Recreation
Personnel
Is Told to Make
Recommendations
By Tomorrow

1SCC1 CdCAOA. OACCGOI Lewis N.
Barrett turned his attention today
to lining. up personnel he will rec
ommend for positions in the re-
organized recreation setup.
He was told yesterday by a two
man subcommittee of the District
Recreation Board composed of Com
missioner David McCoach and
School Board Member c. Melvin
Sharpe that in addition to drawing
up a new recreation organization
to administer playground and COM
munity center activities he must
bring in recommendations for per-
sonnel to fill the new positions to-
morrow and must make appoint
ments by August /.
This further complicated the sit
uation, as Mr.. Barrett recommended
yesterday only the positions he
thought should be created under
the new setup and salary scale
allowable under existing appropria-
tions.
The two-man subcommittee, be-
sides ordering him to insert names
Of personnel into his reorganization
chart, also told him to revise GER
tain aspects of the chart and GER
tain salaries.
Board to Be Called.
If Mr.. Barrett's recommendations
are satisfactory, the entire Recrea-
ton Board will be called to approve
the new setup.
Other members of the board are
Commissioners Melvin c. Hazen and
George E. Allen, Mrs. Henry Grat-
tan Doyle, president of the Board
OF Education. and John H. Wilson,
senior colored member of the Board
of Education.
Conjecture was prevalent today
as to whether the other board mem
bers would intervene to give Mr..
Barrett more time in which to con-
slider the question of personnel.
Mr.. Barrett. who. because of the
pressure being brought on him by
Job seekers, was forced to retire
into privacy over the week end and
to study the new plan. could not
be reached for comment on re-
organization.
The main feature of his plan,
however, was approved Yesterday
by Col. McCoach and Mr.. Sharpe.
This is that all present community
center and playground activities
will be placed under four assistant
directors of recreation.
Grouping of Personnel.
Under the plan, supervisory and
leadership personnel would be
grouped under the four, who would
have charge of white and colored
CITY, wide activities and white and
colored sections in the recreation
system, respectively. There are 20
white sections and 6 colored Sec
tlons. each with major recreation
center, in the Washington recrea-
ton system as planned at present
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
This setup gives the colored pop
ulation of the city considerably
more say in recreation matters than
heretofore. it was pointed out.
Col. McCoach yesterday said other
details Of the plan would not be
made public until the entire board
had passed on it.
Therefore it is not yet known.
for instance, how buildings and
grounds personnel will be grouped,
what other divisions are to be made
or along what lines the new or
ganization is to cooperate with the
Office of National Capital Parks
and the Board of Education.
Reduction in Funds.
Neither was it announced Just
how Mr.. Barrett proposed to bring
his budget within existing approri-
ations, which are roughly $50 900
less than under the old dual setup.
Besides his reorganization plan
Mr.. Barrett took to yesterdays
meeting the results of his official
child traffic accident survey of 1888
in an effort to point out to Col.
McCoach and Mr.. Sharpe his rea-
sons for not advocating q wholesale
opening of school gorunds during
the summer.
The survey shows that most of
the 1855 child traffic accidents in
1888 were caused by failure of
children to observe traffic safety
rules and that most child accidents
occurred within easy reach of play
grounds already open.
Mr.. Barrett opened four addi-
tional school grounds last week as
well as two park areas which were
intended to be open but had been
closed because of lack of funds. He
has used additional personnel
acquired under w. P. A. project
for 50 ad6itiopo1 1aodors ~, y,1ov