Evening star., 1939-12-07
Ickes Assai|s
u
Critics Of Park
Land Program
Declares Purchases
Should Be Made
Ahead of Demands

7uS0O VI ~SUI0tu0S
Secretary Of the Interior Ickes.
who sponsored the Wagner-Sauers
report on National Capital parks,
took sharp issue today with the
criticism of his investigators that
the land acquisition program Is
going ahead too rapidly of the abil-
ity to develop and maintain the
local parks and the two should be
synchronized.
With this chief exception, he said
in a press conference, the recon-
mendations in the 54-page report
meet generally with my approval"
He was especially in favor, he
said, of giving the superintendent
of the National Capital Parks OF.
flee such autonomy and response.
bility as recommended in the report.
Il don't agree with the view taken
in the report that the buying Of
park lands should not be in excess
of the ability to develop and main
tain the parks" ecretary Ickes said
emphatically.
Areas Are Very Limited.
"The areas for new parks land
in the District are very limited"
he explained. Especially in a grow
ing city the land prices are always
increasing, and it is good policy
to purchase lands needed for park
purposes well in advance before
costs go up too high. This is q
policy which means definite saw
ing, and I am fully in agreement
with it"
H. S. Wagner and Charles G..
Sauers, the two Midwestern experts
engaged by Mr.. Ickes to investigate
Washington's park system. did not
condemn the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission for its
land purchases under the Capper-
Champion Act but pointed out Spe-
cifically that the present inequah-
ties in purchases and maintenance
should be corrected.
In Favor of More Funds.
Secretary Iskes said he was in
favor of larger appropriations for
park maintenance" the report hav-
ing stressed that existing funds for
park maintenance are ''woefully in
adequate
He did not wish to comment di-
rectly on the recommendation that
the distribution of expense might
be made so that the Federal Gov
ernment would bear the major por.
ton OF the cost of "esthetic details"
leaving the District to pay the major
portion of facilities for human use,
recreational opportunities and the
like"
Mr.. Ickes apparently was not dis
posed to enter any discussion of the
Federal-District fiscal relations, but
he commented
"Washingtonians are always ready
to have the Government pay taxes.
They would sacrifice themselves to
the extent that they would be will
ing to pay no taxes at all"
Mr.. Ickes made no reply to a re-
minder the report pointed out Dis
trict taxpayers are now paying
"seven-ninths" of funds for MAIN
tenance and development of park
system.
The report stressed that fact in
suggesting revision in the distribu-
tion of expense.
He has made practically the same
comment during controversies with
the District Commissioners over the
earlier public works program when
he was administrator.
To Ask Civil Service Test.
He disclosed that he has already
taken steps to call for a civil serv-
ice examination in filling the post Of
superintendent of National Capital
Parks. The former superintendent,
c. Marshall Finnan, left during the
summer for Park Service post in
Utah, and Mr.. Ickes' proposal for q
civil service examination is to OBJ
tain a highly-qualified park super
intendent.
He thought it was only minor
) detail that the Wagner-Sauers re-
port recommends the superintend-
ent be made responsible directly to
the associate director instead of the
director of the National Park Serv-
ice.
J Il quite agree with the recon-
mendations to make the park force
all the way down the line respon-
sible to the superintendent, as rec
ommended." he said.
The park report has been placed
by Secretary Ickes in the hands Of
all Interior Department and Ma
tional Park Service officials VINO
may have connections with the park
system.
Mr.. Ickes indicated he was going
to spend considerable time in study
ing the recommendations For this
reason, he said he could not tel
now which sections of the report
might be used as a basis for leg;s-
lative recommendations to Congress.
He was in favor of placing recrea-
tional supervision as recommended
IN the report, but said he was in no
position now to discuss detailed rec
concentrations except for the land
acquisition program, on which he
had definite views.
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