Evening star., 1939-07-18
Permitting Children
To Run Fairgrounds
Held Doubtful
Groups May Be Formed
For Petrol Duty and
To Aid Police

Whether some Fairgrounds would
be operated by children themselves
as an experiment, as repeatedly sug-
gested by Commissioner Melvin C..
Hazen, was doubtful today, accord
ing to observers.
Mr.. Hazen was out Of the city and
could not be reached for comment
on the suggestion.
1t was thought the children would
lack the experience and training to
maintain order on the grounds, give
proper care to the equipment and
meet any emergencies which might
arise
However, it seems likely that chill
dren might be organized for traffic
patrol duty similar to that in effect
during the school year at intersec-
tions near the grounds.
Another likely proposition, OBJ
servers said, was that older children
be organized into volunteer squads
to comb the streets in search of
children playing in danger zones
and encourage them to play in play
grounds.
Would Aid Police.
This, it was thought. would aug
ment the proposed use of to 10 par
TALLY disabled policemen to do SINH
lar duty as well as giving parents of
children found in the streets lee
lures on traffic safety.
Meanwhile, conjecture was preva-
lent over the appointment of Com
missioner David McCoach to serve
with Melvin Sharpe as a two-man
subcommittee of the new District
Recreation Board to help Recreation
Director Lewis r. Barrett with the
spade work of organizing the pres
ent recreation setup under the Dis
trict government on a more efficient
basis. Earlier it had been thought
that Commissioner George E. Allen
was to serve with Mr.. Sharpe on the
subcommittee.
Official expression OF pleasure over
the recreation Setup for the District
as recently reorganized came to-
day from Frederic A. Delano, chair
man of the presidentially appointed
District Recreation Committee and
chairman of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
The expression came in the form
of letter. identical copies of which
were sent to Commissioner Hazen
chairman of the Recreation Board
and Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle
president of the Board of Educa
ton and a member of Mr.. Hazen's
committee.
Mr.. Delano's letter expressed
qualification over the creation OF
the new board and its appointment
of Mr.. Barrett as director oil
recreation for the District. The
letter pointed out that it was his
Mr.. Delano's. committee which orig
inally hired Mr.. Barrett to co-ordi-
nate recreation in Washinton, and
that care had been taken in the
choice.
Meanwhile observers continued tc
conjecture over just what would be
the new sstup which Mr.. Barrett
would recommend to the board ano
how he would regroup salaries ano
other expenses to come within the
1912 ,320 which Mr.. Barrett has al
his disposal under the recently
signed District of Columbia Appro-
priation Act. This figure represents
lump appropriation of $255 800
SIS, 900 for opening of summer play
grounds under the Community Gen.
ter Department, $25,0OO for i'm
provements on Fairgrounds and
$1,000 for equipment of school
grounds.
$4,000 Deducted by Congress.
Congress In transferring the Play
ground Department to the Com.
munity Center Department deduct
ed approximately $4,000 or, roughly
the amount Mr.. Barrett said he
could save with a consolidated Set
up at hearings last winter.
Obviously either some personnel
will have to be done away with en-
tirely or many employees will have
to take salary cut. 1t appeared
today as though the former course
would be followed.
Mr.. Barrett, however, has given
no word of what setup he will rec
ommend or in exactly what way he
intends to bring it within the
amount of money appropriated. He
was at work again today in an at
tempt to draw up his recommends
tions as soon as possible for presen-
tation to the board some time thi,