Evening star., 1940-12-21
Two Sites Studied
In Move for New
Health Center
Planning Boord Rejects
Plea for Northwest
Section Park Lond

Two possible chances to obtain
site for health center in central
Northwest Washington were re-
studied today, following the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commissions refusal yesterday to
permit use of park triangle at
New York avenue and M and First
streets NV. for this purpose.
If Congress would appropriate
funds. slashed from the District
budget, for the purchase of lot at
Kirby street and New York avenue
NV, owned by the Homeopathic
Hospital. this site could be used.
Or, if Congress would insert in
the District appropriation bill funds
with which to build replacement
of antiquated 8-room Jones School
at First and L streets NV, the
Board of Education is willing to
transfer the school to the Health
Department for a health center.
One Difficulty Seen.
One drawback to the latter plan
is that the Board of Education,
while it lists Jones School replace
ment on its building program, did
not request funds for such a re-
placement in its 1912 budget.
DR.. George C. Rutland, District
health officer. who has sought on
five successive occasions to obtain a
site for the center. lost out on per-
haps the best site yesterday when
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission refused the use
OF the park triangle, holding that
it was an essential part of the
L Enfant plan for the National
Capital, was needed to provide open
space in the neighborhood. and. if
used for buildings other than for
park purposes. would create a dan
gerous precedent for the use of
park land.
DR.. Garnet C. Wilkinson. assist
ant superintendent in charge of COL
ored schools. said late Yesterday
that he was willing to turn over the
Jones School to Dr. Rutland, but
that he could not throw the 356
pupils in the Jones School out on
the street to be taught
Deal First Made in 1888.
The Jones School deal originally
was made in 1888 DR.. Rutland had
been allotted s165,OO for the North
west center. He wanted to buy site
across from the Douglass-S Simmons
School, but DR.. Wilkinson suggested
it would be better to use this site
for a school to replace the Jones.
Once the school was built, Dr. Ruh-
land could have the Jones School,
The schools had $l7.50O to buy site
near the Douglass Simmons School
and proceeded to buy it. But no
new school building was forthcom-
ing.
DR.. Rutland understood this to
mean that his department was owed
the equivalent of the $17,500, but this
had been spent and in 1899 the Dis
trict Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee repealed
the unexpended balance of the
$165 900.
Hospital Site Proposed.
Meanwhile, DR.. Rutland had
sought to overcome the delay by
asking the Park and Planning Com
mission to permit him to use the
park triangle. This failed too. Also
in the meantime it had been sug-
gested that Homeopathic Hospital
be used for the center. However,
this was found to be unfit for use
and the assessed value of the hos
pital was more than the funds in
hand
DR.. Rutland attempted, again to
obtain funds for the New York ave-
nue. and Kirby street site. but failed
to make headway on this plan and
came back to the Park and Plan
ming Commission to ask it to re-
verse its previous decision.
DR.. Rutland said after the COM
missions second refusal yesterday
that the chances for center in the
near future looked remote"