Evening star., 1941-04-04
Recreation Bill
Draft Approved
School Board
Presidents Committee
To Study Measure
At Meeting Tuesday

The Board of Education today ap-
proved for presentation to the Pres
idents Committee on Recreation a
redraft of the Settle bill providing
for the establishment of a nine
member Recreation Board to CO.
ordinate all recreation in the
District Of Columbia.
Approval already having been
given the measure by Board of
Commissioners and the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, the School Boards action en-
ables the Presidents Committee to
take final action at its meeting Tues
day and forward the bill to Congress.
A provision of the measure ac-
ceptable to all interested agencies
states that 1t shall become effective
July l.
The School Boards version of the
bill as adopted today contains the
provision making the Superintend-
ent of National Capital Parks an ex-
offico member of the Recreation
Board. Action on the measure had
been held up previously because
DR.. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent
of schools, objected to such a provi-
sion on the grounds that the parks
superintendent would be a profess
sional representative.
Objection Disregarded.
DIR. Ballou also had objected to
appointment of citizen board mem
bers by the Commissioners, pro-
posing instead that these citizens be
chosen by five specified civic organi-
cations. The approved bill also dis
regarded DR.. Ballou's objection.
Charles D. Drayton, chairman OF
the Board of Education's Legislation
Committee, which framed the bill
as approved by the board as a
whole, said the bill was the best of
the three the board had considered
During the Executive Committees
consideration of the bill. provision
making the superintendent of
schools an ex-officio member of the
Recreation Board was stricken out
and an additional citizen member
substituted.
This was done after Mrs. Henry
Grattan Doyle. president of the
Board of Education. and other men,
bers of the Executive Committee,
found fault with a ratio of five
officials to four citizens in the
recreation board membership make
up Mr.. Drayton's motion to return
the bill to its original stipulation on
this matter was voted down.
Proposed Membership.
Membership of the recreation
board as approved by the school
board would be as follows: A men,
Der of the Board of Commissioners
selected by that board; a representa-
tive of the Board of Education
selected by that board: a member
selected by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission who
is layman not directly associated
with the administration of recrea-
ton either in the District of Colun-
bia or elsewhere: the superintendent
of the National Capital Parks ex
officio, and five members, who shall
have been for five years Immediately
preceding their selection bona f1de
residents of the District of Colum-
bia, appointed by the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia for a
term of four years each. except the
original appointments shall be for
terms of one. two. three, four and
five years, respectively.
The three members of the board
representing the Board of Commits
sioners. the Board of Education and
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission shall be desig-
mated annually by their respective
agencies.
The controversy over just what
facilities each of the related agencies
proposed to make available to the
recreation board was ironed out in
article 2. section of the boards
version of the bill. Therein Is pro-
vided that the recreation board
shall have power and authority
to conduct, direct and supervise a
comprehensive program of public
recreation which shall include the
operation and direction of major
recreation centers, play fields, ath-
letic fields, Fairgrounds, tennis
courts, baseball diamonds, SWIM
ming pools, beaches, golf courses,
recreation centers in schools. parks
or other public owned buildings, as
well as other recreational facilities
which may be agreed upon between