Evening star., 1940-09-29
Fifty Years Ago
In the Star
Rock Creek
Park Bill
Posed

MOCK Stee. step was taken for the Gre
roFk Dill alton of Rock Creek Park.
Posed The Star of that date says:
so far as the Senate and House can
make legislation effective. the Rock Creek
Park is an accomplished fact. All the
bill needs now is the signature of the
President, for the Senate agreed to the
report Of the Conference Committee this
morning and used up only small amount
of time in doing it. The report was
called up by Senator ingalls,.
THE first person to discuss it was Sem
ator German. who said he had come to
the conclusion that any further objection
would result in an undesirable postpone
ment a postponement which would be
full of danger to the measure. He there
fore would do no more than put himself
on record as to certain features which
he regarded as objectionable He trusted
the Senator in charge Of the bill would
prepare and push legislation that would
materially change matters. The system
he objected to was that of placing Army
officers in charge of work that belonged
to civilians. The construction of build
ings, the laying out of parks and similar
works should be supervised by civilians
He admitted that the Engineer Corps
stood high, but their assignment to such
duties as now occupied most of their time
was all wrong. The Army was gradually
making serious encroachments upon the
rights and occupations of the man in
civil life. =.
Senator Gibson Of Louisiana was en-
phatically favorable to the park and en-
thusiastic over its location. He had rid
den over the greater portion of it and
was satisfied that it was all that could
be required. He did not think that the
people of the District of Columbia ought
to be taxed for the purchase of the land
or the maintenance of the reservation.
Mr. Reagan said he was opposed to
the bill Central Park in New York he
said contained only 700 acres, while 1t
was proposed to establish here park of
1000 acres. It was too much land for
the purpose and it would require small
er expenditure OF money if less soil was
purchased.
Senator Sherman said he was warmly
in favor of the establishment of the park.
Had the ground been bought 20 years
ago it could have been purchased for
$4,000. Today it was worth fully six
times as much. 1t was a good invest
ment. if nothing more. The land would
increase in value enormously. He OBJ
jected to the Government taking the city
of Washington into partnership.
"I don't like to use the word said
the Ohio statesman, but I think its
mean thing to do And Mr.. Sherman
put weighty accent on mean He said
the District could not afford such an ex-
pensive luxury, but the general Govern
ment could. The Government should
own the park Mr.. Sherman then re-
ferred to three civilians whom he did
not name) who resided in this city and
who could more satisfactorily and artis-
tically lay out the park than could any
Army Engineers. Senator Harris re-
minded Senator Sherman that there
would be three civilian commissioners
appointed to act in conjunction with the
Army officers
Senator Sherman said he was pleased
to be so informed. Then he went on to
say that he hoped Congress would speed
lily repeal the law which makes the Dis
trict pay half the cost of the park. An
other of the grave errors in the bill was
the provision empowering assessments of
special taxes on adjacent property be-
sat, ~ ~n>
would accrue. Most of the property ad-
joining the park was in the hands Of
small o&ners-people who were possessed
of little tracts on which they raised gar
den truck to sell in the city. 1t would be
unjust to tax these people. 80.
When the vote was taken on the
question of agreeing to the conference
report Mr.. Reagan was the only one to
calculate MOI So the report was agreed
to and the bill will be taken to the Prexi-
dent for his consideration"