Evening star., 1939-03-30
|Hazerl Indorses
School Rule Of
Fairgrounds
'Second-Choice' Fuvo.
Given Collins Plan.
Switching Funds

commissioner MeJVln 4. daZen 10.
day gave his indorsement-asa q Sec
ond choice-to the shifting of the
entire District Playground Depart
ment to the jurisdiction OF the pub
lie schools system, said to have been
planned by Chairman Collins of the
House District Appropriations SUBJ
committee.
The change would be effected by
the transfer of all appropriations
for the Playground Department to
the schools portion of the District
budget, amounting to more than
100000. The plan would effect the
transfer of all of the 42-odd mu-
nicipal Fairgrounds.
If approved by the House and
Senate, the change would effect &
major piece of reorganization of the
District Government. begun last
year when jurisdiction over more
than so school grounds and other
play spots was shifted from the
Playground Department to the Com
munity Center Department of the
schools system.
New Department Favored.
The Commissioners recently rec
commended that all play facilities in
the District, as we'll as the parks, be
placed under the control of a pro-
posed new District Department of
Parks and Recreation. Testimony to
this effect was given by the Com
missioners in statement on the
Grinenhagen plan for general mu-
nicipal reorganization.
However. the Commissioners have
been advised this portion of the
Griffenhagen plan has no chance
for approval and. as second choice.
1t is said that the Commissioners
are willing to let the Playground
Department pass out of their hands.
under the new plan, as "a step in
the right direction"
I'VE would like to see real CO.
ordination of all District play and
recreational facilities" said Commits
sioner Hazen. That is our first
choice. under one department or
joint board. But if that cannot be
done. we think it would help if all
the District side Of the recreation
program is centralized under one
authority. On that basis. we are In
accord with this new thought"
Board Of Education Auspices.
Presumably, the personnel of the
Playground Department would be re-
tanned under the transfer, and would
continue to direct the playground
program under new auspices, the
Board of Education. Presumably
this would mean that Miss Sibyl
Baker. supervisor of the Playground
Department, would continue in
charge Of the playground portion of
the program.
However. District officials declined
to state whether 1t had been deter
mined definitely as yet as to whether
the playground operations would be
placed under the Board of Educa-
ton directly, or under the Com
munity Center Department. The
director of the Community Center
Department is Mrs. Elizabeth K.
Peoples.
(On Capitol Hill subcommittee
members revealed that serious
consideration is being given to
renewing the efforts of last year
to place the municipal playground
department under control of the
Community Center Department.
The District appropriation bill
last year carried a similar pro-
posal when it was reported to the
House, but it was eliminated on
a point of order raised by men,
bers of the District Legislative
Committee. Legislation attached
to an appropriation bill is subject
to a point of order under House
rulesD
Miss Baker declined comment on
the plan. saying she had not been
advised the transfer was planned by
the Appropriations Subcommittee.
IT the change is made, 1t will be
a victory for Henry l. Quinn, former
member of the Board of Education,
who has been campaigning for about
four years to preserve the iurisdic-
ton of the school system over school
grounds. A contest over this oues-
ton developed when a plan first
was proposed for placing all recrea-
ton facilities under one central
authority.
Committee First Step.
The first move was the creation of
District Recreation Committee to
plan co-ordinated program. Repre-
sented on this committee were the
School Board. the Commissioners
and the National Capital Parks Of
flee, with Frederic A. Delano, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, as non-
voting chairman. The committee
had no legal power as committee,
but developed various coordination
plans. Later there came the proposed
bill to create Recreation Board,
representing the Federal, District
and school interests, such board to
have power to pool resources and
effect real coordination. So far the
bill has failed of favorable action.
Mr.. Quinn, who has led fight be-
fore the Federation of Citizens AS
sociations, and other groups, to ex-
tend rather than limit school juris-
diction over Fairgrounds, resigned
recently as a member of the Board
of Education so as to make more
effective" fight against features of
the Griffenhagen reorganization
plan affecting the schools.
He has conferred with the Com
'missioners and with members of the
Citizens Efficiency Committee, head
ed by former Corporation Counsel
E. Barrett Prettyman, about the
playground angle. He is a member
of the Citizens Efficiency Commit
tee, which recently opposed the
Griffenhagen plan for creation of
department of parks and recrea-
ton, stating that it believed "econ-