Evening star., 1939-12-01
Barrett Halls
Recreation
board.P|an
Differs With Experts
On Proposed Transfer
Of Certuin Lands

Of Certain Lands
Unifcation of Washington public
recreation by means Of commits.
sion, as proposed in the Wagner.
Sauers park report, would incal-
culably improve conditions, Direc-
tor of Recreation for the District
Lewis r. Barrett said today.
At the same time Mr. Barrett,
who is also co-ordinator of recrea-
ton for the National Park Service,
scored the two collaborators' proposal
to transfer certain recreational lands
from the parks to his organization
and to draw line between certain
lands and activities, leaving some
under the parks and some under his
department, as merely continuing
a condition which plaques the pres
ent city recreation tie-up.
Their great contribution" Mr..
Barrett said in commenting on the
report today, ''is their proposal to
have recreation commission on
which the Office of National Capital
Parks, the Board of Education, the
District Commissioners and the
using public would have equal rep
resentation"
Where they miss out entirely in
making any constructive proposal
for the solution of the recreation
tie-up In the District" he continued,
lis in their attempt to draw a fine
line between certain activities and
facilities which the parks are to
operate and certain others which
should be the province of the District
recreation agency"
"Only Sensible Solution
A commission of the sort Mr..
Wagner and Mr.. Sauers propose, Mr..
Barrett said. has long been viewed
by himself and others closely iden-
tilted with the recreation adminis-
tration problem as the only sensible
solution to the problem of dual Fed.
eral and District control over recre-
alton in Washington.
Here would pe long-sought unfit
cation without impractical resort to
the abolition of one or more
agencies. in itself an impossibility
under the circumstances, and the
grouping of all recreational facll.
tiles under one agency" he said.
In his criticism of the Zine" pro.
posed by the two collaborators, Dor.
rowed from Akron, Ohio, and Chi
cago by Interior Secretary Ickes to
make the report, Mr.. Barrett points
out that it has been the drawing of
this line in the past which has
effectively blocked real co-ordina-
ton of all phases of public recrea.
ton in the District for years.
ME Wagner and Mr.. Sauers in
their report set forth the following
as . suggested solution OF the prob
lem OF dual operation Of facilities:
I'VE recommend the transfer of
administration and control from
National Capital Parks to the pro.
posed recreation commission of all
lands adjacent and subordinate
from use standpoint to Fairgrounds
IN other public ownership. SIM
ilarly, the transfer of adminstra-
ton and control over other National
Capital Parks lands which are solely
used and useful for Fairgrounds
should be effected. However, Ger.
tain facilities are so located as to
make 1t imperative that jurisdic-
tlon remain in the National Capital
Parks; namely, all picknicking facil-
tiles, bridlepaths, golf courses, tennis
courts which are incidental to the
Landscape in which they are located,
as well as playfields, baseball and
football fields where the player
rather than the spectator is the
dominant user"
Little Change in Setup.
This" Mr.. Barrett was emphatic
in declaring, amounts to little more
than Is already in practice in regard
to recreation facilities
Last spring 13 such areas were
transferred to the District Recrea-
ton Department technically tho
District of Columbia Community
Center and Playground Department
under the joint control of the Board
OF Education and the District Com
mlssionerS. More are expected to
be so transferred, Mr. Barrett said
The problem is not solved now
by the transfers already made and
will never be solved by more such
transfers. Mr.. Barrett declared.
Mr.. Barrett offered a proposal he
thinks would solve the problem.
From the National Capital Parks
shall be transferred all recreation
activities, including the permit Of
flee, special activities halloween
celebrations, Fourth of July celebra-
tions, Presidents Cup Regatta, horse
shows, etc., in fact every phase of
recreation which involves program
(not supervision necessarily and
contact with the public" he said.
"On top of this" Mr.. Barrett says,
"the handling of all concessions in
volving recreation (gof, tennis,
swimming, boating, bicycle riding.
etc. should be transferred to the
Recreation Committee proposed by
the two collaborators.
Going the other way, mainte.
nance, development. planning, de-
signing and policing of all land in
volved in recreation, including play.
grounds, parks and school grounds,
should be placed under the super
vision Of the parks Office. The latter
IS better equipped to do this work
than the recreation agency and the
latter is better equipped to man.
age use Of the land by the public"
c. C. C. Aid Recruited.
What difference would it make
whether the Board Of Education
turned its grounds maintenance
money over to the District repair
shop or the National Capital Parks?"
he was asked.
'The latter can plant, landscape,
maintain and design grounds better
than any one else," Mr.. Barrett said.
"As it is now, when we have an
area we have to go back to the