Evening star., 1939-11-28
Provision for Upkeep of Parks
nd. c. Urged by Experts
Lond Buying Too Swift to Assure
Proper Development, Report Says

The second of a series OF
articles dnalystng details OF the
report made by tUo experts after
study OF the National Capital
Parks. Another DtH appear to-
morroU.
In their comprehensive and intel
ligently constructive park report
recently submitted to Secretary of
the Interior Ickes, the two able
collaborators, H. S. Wagner and
Charles G. Sauers. were warm in
their acknowledgment of the mag
nificence of present acreage and
possible future of National Capital
parks" Yet at the same time they
cited two factors which they claim
operate against bringing the prop
critics to proper state of fitness
desirable In city that houses the
Federal seat of Government.
Land acquisition, they pointed out,
has moved at so much faster tempo
that even with present funds the
entire acreage now owned, one acre
per 100 people. cannot be main
tanned, protected, or prepared even
for simplest uses.
A second obstacle appeared to
them as due to the fact that the
planning on which land acquisition
is based, as well as the actual acqui-
sition of land for the parks in the
District. is one step removed from
the agency which develops and
maintains the land involved. One
is done by the National Capital
Park and Planning agency and the
other by the National Capital Parks
office as the operating agency.
Flexibility Lacking.
I'm other communities these func-
tions are performed by the manag-
ing agency" the report said.
Actually, close cooperation is the
rule and no suggestions are offered
here which could not be just as ad-
vantageously recognized by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission as by a self-contained
acquisition department under Ma
tional Capital Parks. 1t is obvious
that the same f1exibility of opera
ton which exists in a single organ
ization. the same power of adjust
ing expenditures for land, develop
mentn, and operation, is lacking in
the District of Columbia.
I'VE may do better merely to call
attention to the fact that, whereas
there is no reason to criticize the
continuing acquisition of land under
the Capper- er-Cramton Act, to extend
the park system of the District, it is
very doubtful If such a program
would or should be supported by the
citizens of any community where
development and maintenance are
not only not advancing with ac-
QUESTION, but are actually declin-
ing. Land acquisitions under the
Capper-Cramton Act by the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission have outstripped the
ability of the National Capital
Parks to protect, maintain and i'm
prove lands acquired.
AT least, very direct measures
should be taken to protect every
acre Of newly acquired land, by
budget increases if necessary.
Whenever economy is stressed in
any part of the park program it
would appear that both develop
ment and acquisition should bear
their share of retrenchment. Main
tenance costs. unless poor efficiency
is a factor, cannot be reduced while
acquisition and development are
maintained at normal levels, with
out serious depreciation of the ex-
listing improvements. The park de-
velopment and maintaining agency
is actually faced with the necessity
to make less money maintain more
parks. Here neither the interests of
the people Of the District of Colum-
bia nor of the people of the Nation
are properly guarded"
With things as they are, the re-
port made the significant recon-
mendation that the new superin-
tendent of National Capital Parks,
who is yet to be appointed, be
made a member of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion to correct an omission under
existing law.