Evening star., 1941-03-27
District Recreation
Board Again Urged
Under School Control
Proponents Soy PIon
Would Put on End to
Jurisdiction Disputes

Two proponents of the bill to
establish District recreation board
yesterday told members of the Board
of Education it would solve the
knotty problem which for more than
10 years has split the agencies in
volved on jurisdictional questions.
The meeting was the second con-
Quoted by the boards committee on
law and legislation on the proposed
measure and third is in prospect
next week.
Thomas S. Settle, secretary of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, said that in addition to
the school facilities to be used in the
program, the parks would turn over
supervision of about $500 acres Of
park land In the District. He de-
clared that the bill would provide
a fine, comprehensive program for
the District.
Weaver w. Pangborn of the Ma
tional Recreation Association also
told the members of the experience
other cities have had, pointing out
that Baltimore now has a recreation
commission.
Would Get Less Money.
Opposition to the recreation board
plan was brought out in a letter
from Henry I. Quinn, former member
of the Board of Education, last year
to Chairman Overton of the Senate
subcommittee on appropriations
which handles the District budget.
The letter was read by Chairman
Charles D. Drayton of the boards
committee.
Although Mr.. Settle and Mr..
Pangborn argued that recreation, as
an appendage to the Board OF Edu-
cation, would receive less money
than if it were under a separate
commission. because of other press
ing school needs, Mr.. Quinns letter
cited an increase in the appropria-
tions of the former Community
Center Department during the years
of its operation under the Board Of
Education.
Il can see the School Board hav-
ing trouble getting money from
Congress for golf courses, beaches
and the like" Mr.. Settle observed,
"if the entire program were under
the board" .-...
Mr.. Quinn further declared in
his letter that the trend in other
cities was to school board control
and hinted that the bill was an
effort on the part of Federal agen-
cies to gain control of District IA
cilities.
"Mr. Quinn is completely misin-
formed" Mr.. Pangborn declared, lin
his analysis of the trends"
Former Corporation Counsel FL
wood Seal reported that under the
Commissioners revised reorganiza-
ton plan it had been intended to
consolidate supervised recreation
under the School Board. Mr.. Settle
brought out, however, that the orig
inal Griffenhagen reorganization
proposals recommended a separate
department of recreation.
ENIDC-N1dH DUdIu SCCUs
The proposed bill would set up q
nine-man board representing the
School Board, the parks office, the
Planning Commission, the Commits
sioners and majority of five rep
resenting the public. These five
would be appointed, by the Com
missioners. Each agency would re-
tain final control over the use of
its facilities and could withdraw
from the recreation board any facil-
tiles 1t needed for fundamental
purposes.
AS sample of boards appointed
by the Commissioners, Mr.. Settle
pointed to the Library Board.
1T could be argued that this is
of educational nature and therefore
should be under the School Board,
Mr.. Settle declared. But I think
the present arrangement is working
out extremely we'll"
Supt. Frank w. Ballou and Mrs
Philip Sidney Smith of the School
Board both are members of the
Library Board
Mr.. Settle said he had in his
experience with recreation in other
sections of the country set up sew
eral systems under school boards.
Regrets Other Systems.
And I regret every one of them,
he said.
He reviewed the history of the
struggle for q recreation board here
pointing out that such q plan was
suggested in 1880 and by ether in
vestigators since.
The Commissioners and the parks