Evening star., 1940-01-08
BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN, II,
Star Stan CORRESPONDENT.

BY RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN, II,
Star Stan Correspondent.
CLEVELAND |By MaiD In the
Buckeye States No. city, the ad-
ministration of parks and play
grounds has taken a new lease on
life.
Under Mayor Harold Burton, city
officials and private groups are CO.
operating to take a park system.
largely built for aesthetic effect, and
mold it into a tool with which to
combat the ills which beset the city:
Juvenile delinquency. i'll health, bad
air. cramped living quarters.
The observer is impressed by the
fact that Clevelanders seem to be
sold" on the recreational use OF
their parks and by the fact that the
current resurgence of interest in
parks and Fairgrounds bids fair to
place Cleveland in an envlable posi-
ton regarding both.
A city with population OF 902 All,
Cleveland has an area of BIB square
miles, practically the same as the
District of Columbia In this area
are slightly more than 1000 acres OF
park and playground land, where
Washington has more than 5000 for
fewer people. Outside the city, as in
Akron, there are 1000 acres OF met
ropolitan park land. something OF
which Washington has little.
Get More for Money.
What Cleveland has in the way
of city parks. although perhaps not
developed so much on Washington S
grand scale, nevertheless gives Cleve-
land men, women and children more
for their money than they get in
Washington. The peoples money
goes not so much to create a glorious
front as to give the people air to
breathe, grass to play on, recreative
facilities to attract them to the
parks. Clevelal.d's park system is
developed for human use; Wash
ington's for the sightseer, perhaps.
Some idea of the facilities for
human use existing in Cleveland's S
parks as compared with Washing
tons can be cleaned from the fact
Cleveland has 80 Fairgrounds, 141
tennis courts finished and under
construction, Sc baseball diamonds
in use or under construction on
1000 acres of park land, only slight
ly more than the area of Rock Greek
Park alone.
Washington, in its entire park
system, for instance. has only Is
baseball diamonds and 81 tennis
courts, most of which are in Po-
tomac Park, not within easy walk
ing distance for many persons.
Consider Brookside Park in Cleve-
land, an area of 254 acres, small
area compared to Rock Creek Parks
1,746 acres. 1t is divided in two
sections. In section one, 161 acres,
are the ZOO, swimming pool, a
children's play area, picnic groves,
one baseball diamond, one soft
ball diamond, 10 tennis courts,
a lake, casting platform, skating
rink and night-lighted baseball field.
Planned for section one are boat
house, shelter and bandstand on
the shores of lake, parking area
for 75O cars and construction Of new
roads and paths.
In Section Two.
In section two, under construc-
ton and 80 per cent completed, are
an Olympic-size swimming pool, div
ing pool, parking area for $50 cars,
running track, soccer field, football
fields, picnic groves, Fairgrounds,
six baseball diamonds, three softball
diamonds, one hard-surface play
ground, IL tennis courts, a skating
rink, q shower basin, an Office and
storage building and a toboggan
slide.
And yet Brookside Park does not
look like a gymnasium. There is
left a sizable share of Handicapped
and tree-covered ground. I'll
On top of the basic philosophy Of
development has come the means
wherewith to put it in effect-relief
labor. Cleveland has made tre-
mendous use of w. P. A. particu-
larly. Hugo E. Varga, director Of
parks and public property, says he
has had as many as $4,000 w. p. A.
laborers on his areas at one time.
He says he has his program of park
and playground improvement so per
cent completed.
Some believe he has a Lion by
the tail" in that he will not be able
to maintain so many facilities now
that they are built.
w. r. A. Quality Surpasses D. C.
Comparison between Washington
and Cleveland w. P. A. labor In
point of quantity is not fair, how
ever. Considering quality, the type
of work done by w. P. A. in Cleve-
land far. surpasses that done in
Washington. Out here w. P. A
labor brings IN area from . vacant