Evening star., 1941-03-31
Education Board
May |ndorse
Recreation Plan
BoIIou Opposes
Inclusion of Parks
Head on Group

The Legislative Committee of the
Board of Educat ton today indicated
It would bring before the full board
Wednesday a report favOrlne in
principle" establishment of a recrea-
ton commission for the District.
Charles D. Drayton, chairman Of
the committee, said that certain
changes in the proposed bill would
be considered later.
Since the Commissioners and the
Office of National Capital Parks have
approved the plan, Endorsement by
the School Board would give the
Recrea ton Board unanimous back
ing by the agencies concerned for
the first time in more than 10 years.
The DOGGY" of Federal control
and domination of such a commits
sion was raised by Supt. Frank w.
Ballou in obiecting to the inclusion
of the superintendent of National
Capital Parks on the commission.
DR.. Ballou said he had nothing per-
sonal against the superintendent,
but believed the board should be
entrelN lay DOdIu,
He characterized the superlntend-
ent of parks as recreation expert.
Saws Fear Is GrOundless.
Thomas S. Settle. secretary of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, and two civic leaders
objected that the park superlntend-
ent was "planner," and not rec
reation expert.
He characterized the fear of Fed
eral domination as "groundleSS'
and as raising bogey.'
Pointing to 5000 acres OF park
property which would be used under
the proposed bill, Mr.. Settle urged
the necessity of the park superin-
tendent as a member of the board.
"You can leave us off if you like"
he said, but the superintendent OF
parks should be on"
Harry S. Wender, president of the
Southwest Citizens Association and
vice president of the Federation OF
Citizens Associations, told the COM
mittee that neither OF the TWO
groups he represents has acted on
the present proposal. but that both
previously favored similar plans.
He said District recreation is get
ting neither the funds nor the 10y
atty of its employees it would get
under single board, where the en-
plove knows who his boss is.
At present supervised recreation
Is under the joint control OF the
Board of Education and the Com
missioners. but administered by a
Co-ordinator paid by the National
Capital Parks.
Schwab Asks Support.
James E. Schwab of the Board
of Trade called on the School Board
members to support the proposed
recreation commission, which he
said would take recreation out of
its present position as "a stepchild." ="
Both Mr.. Wender and Mr. Schwab
said that a better recreation pro-
gram could be run by an independ-
ent board than by some other agency
where recreation would be subordi-
nate.
George Diffenbach of the Chevy
Chase Citizens Association and the
Council of Social Agencies declared
that even now the schools have no
appropriations for the purchase of
supplies for physical education. He
gave this as an example of what
might happen to recreation were Vt
subordinate to the Board of Edu-
cation alone.
Meeting Is Scheduled.
A meeting of the Presidents Com
nittee on Recreation probably will
be held a week from tomorrow at
2:30 pm. at which time. Mr. Settle
told the committee, Chairman Fred
eric A. Delano hoped to have some
report on school board action.
DR.. Ballou is the boards repre-
sentative on that committee.
DR.. Ballou recommended that the
five citizen members of the proposed
group be drawn from the Federation
of Citizens Associations, the Fed
Grafton of Civic Associations, the
Board of Trade, the District Con-
gress of Parents and Teachers and
the Federation of Parent-Teachers'
Associations.
Mr.. Wender, however, objected to
this method of selection and con-
tended the Commissioners should
not be bound in their selection and
that it was conceivable that some
of these organizations might some
time 60 out of existence.