Evening star., 1942-09-18
Zoo Roadway
Widening Taken
Up by Planners
Commission Confers
With Whitehurst
On Crowded Artery

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission will confer
today with Capt. H. C. Whitehurst,
District director of highways, on a
proposal to straighten out and widen
the main roadway extending through
the National Geological Park.
This road is the route usually
taken by motorists using the Rock
Creek Parkway and the traffic is in
creasingiy heavy.
Meeting under the chairmanship
OF Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant, Sd. who
has succeeded Frederic A. Delano.
the commission also will consider
what progress has been made in the
six-year Federal building program
before it closes its September session
later today.
Announcement was made that Mr..
Delano had been made honorary
emeritus chairman of the commits
sion and his guidance and advice
therefore still will be available.
Detailed reports on DEVELOPMENT
plans for two neighborhood play
grounds were made yesterday by
Thomas c. Jeffers, a member of the
stan. They are the Congress Heights
Playground in Anacostia and the
Francis Junior High School ground
on the Rock Greek Parkway south
OF P Street Bridge.
Field House to Be Erected.
The former embraces an area of
nve acres. Equipment for a chill
dren's play area will be installed and
q field house erected. Plans. also
provide for additional facilities, such
as softball diamonds, basket ball
courts and tennis courts. The Francis
playground already has a swimming
pool, but is lacking in number of
athletic facilities. Ample provisions
OF this kind will be made.
Supt. Irving Root of National
Capital Parks took up with the COM
mission yesterday plans for repaving
ana widening Seventeenth street to
a feet from Constitution avenue
south to the Tidal Basin at the John
faul Jones statue. Erection of addi-
tlonal Navy buildings in the vicinity
mas caused an increase in traffic.
Hhe commission announced that IT.
VIA cooperate with Alexandria, Va
IN trying to preserve the colonial
character of architecture along the
George Washington Memorial Park
way. At . recent meeting of the
Alexandria Council comn6tttAe
was appointed with this plan in
mind. A zoning committee also was
named to see that restrictions are
adhered to along the Memorial high
way.
The Federal planning agency in
the past'h been helpful in advising
on new construction and remodeling
OF houses on the route of the high
way through Alexandria and, has
promised to cooperate in such mat
ters In the future.
To Loan Exhibit.
With the local War Fund cam
paign to start at an early date, the
commission voted to lend its large
model Of Central Washington for an
exhibit to be placed in the Uline
Arena. The model has attracted
much attention at various World
Fairs in recent years.
Secretary Thomas S. Settle re-
ported yesterday that the members
of the commission and the entire
stan had subscribed an average of
10.8 per cent of their salaries to the
purchase of War saving bonds. A
resolution was adopted commencing
the staff OF 10 members.
A report on the status of District
legislation was made by Mr.. Settle
who recounted the successful enact
ment Of a number of bills in which
Gen. Grant had previously taken an
interest. Gen. Grant had served as
executive officer of the commission
for about nine years to 1888.
Among other things, Mr.. Settle
reported that the gasoline tax, which
was increased from 2 to cents a
gallon, will not produce the revenue
anticipated. Part of the gasoline
revenues were to be diverted to con.
struction of the Fort Drive roadway
and on other park roads. The rev
enues are falling off despite the in
crease in the rate because of presen
tire conditions and gas rationing