Evening star., 1939-11-26

t1UO experts TO make study OF
all matters inUolUed. This drti-
Gle is q general summary of their
report. The report in detail 1Uill
be coUered BY series OF articles
in The Star, beginning tomorrow.
BY NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.
Drastic changes in policy to give
the National Capital Parks Office
a degree of autonomy and efficiency
in developing, maintaining and oper-
ating the parks to serve the best in
terests of the Federal City and the
Washington citizens who contribute
seven-ninths of all park mainte-
nance funds were recommended in
a report to Secretary of the Interior
Ickes released yesterday.
Based on an impartial survey of
the many-sided problems involved,
undertaken in the summer at the
order of Secretary Ickes to guide
him in molding future policy, the
20,0OO-word report was made public
by him without comment Reason
ably critical of Federal-District re-
latlons blamed for hampering and
complicating efficient operations, the
remedies suggested strike at the
roots OF number Of long-recognized
ills affecting public use of the parks.
Failures Traced to Front"
Some of the failures OF adminis-
tration were traced to the prevail
ing opinion among the higher up
employees that White House mainte-
nance is the number one" Job of
the National Capital Parks as op-
posed to the principle that the parks
are to be developed in the public
interest. In the same connection
the report declares an unbalanced
attitude" by which importance of
parades and grandiose construction
in short, front" is stressed "at a
direct loss to the citizens of the
District whose leisure time needs
could be met more nearly by sim
pie and inexpensive developments
and improvement of maintenance
| procedure and production"
Suggested remedial reforms in ad-
ministration would center all con-
| troll under ,000-a-year SUPER
intendent with civil service status,
responsible directly to the associate
| director of the National Park Serv-
| ice. Three main divisions and two
auxiliary divisions would be set up
with everything concentrated for
convenience and efficiency in a sep
arate headquarters.
An unpaid advisory board with
local business and civic representa-
tlves is recommended to deal with
intricate governmental relations. 1t
also is urged that the parks super
intendent be made a member of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, the most important CO.
ordinating agency, as originally in
/ tended.
| Recommendations Made.
To correct existing complaints and
! preserve essential park values, the
| report emphasizes these outstand-
1 ing recommendations in the public
| interests.
l. Establishment of a recreation
commission to administer and op-
crate all supervised Fairgrounds. To
National Capital Parks would be
given control over golf courses, ten
mis- courts, football, baseball fields,
etc, and other concessions at which
| fees are charged, taking these out
OF the hands of proflt-making pri-
vate conceSSlonaireS. Operation of
cafeteriaS for Government employees
would remain under the existing
Welfare and Recreation Association,
but it is urged that responsibility
for whatever other concessions that
agency may be allowed to retain
should rest on the park superintend-
ent alone.
2. Restore to the National Capital
Parks Police its original function
pertaining solely to park protection,
leaving full responsibility for the
safety of travellers on parkways and
all traffic duties to the Metropolitan
Police, where such matters right
fully belong" This is a victory for
Secretary Ickes and the parks office,
which opposed relinquishing its po-
lice control
Traffic duty predominates," the
report warned. Park protection
has been minimized and traffic duty
stressed out of their actual impor-
tance. This distortion will inevitably
lead to crisis in which it will be-
come necessary to reverse the stated
policy of the National Capital Parks
with reference to a separate police
force. We can conceive of only one
solution of the approaching dilemma.
If separate police force is to exist
=" traffic duty must actually be
reduced to minimum and strictly
Park Police duties practiced."
Would Synchronize Development.
3. Discontinuance of the practice
of mutilating natural park values,
as in Rock Creek and the Glover
Archbold tract, to satisfy the cur
rent mania" for roadways. Adoption
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission of more eff
cient methods to synchronize de-
velopment and maintenance with
the land acquisition program. Here
neither the interests of the people
of the District of Columbia nor Of
the people of the Nation are proper
ly guarded" the report said.
Summing up, it stressed these two
factors as operating against bring
ing the park properties to a proper
state of fitness from the viewpoint
OF aesthetics and social values:
First, the National Capital Parks
staff is not organized and condi-
toned to secure the best results
from current appropriations. Sec
ond, the acquisition has moved at so
much faster tempo that even with
present funds the entire acreage
now owned (5,798 last year, cannot
be maintained. protected or prepared
for simplest uses"
On these two broad premises
.(Continued on Page AS, Column i