Evening star., 1943-09-09
S633,595Asked
For Expanded
Play Program
New Budget Includes
$4,000 Increase
For Recreation
BY DON. s. WARREN.

Board in its estimate for the
fiscal year 1945, released today
by the Commissioners.
1t calls for total outlay of $685.
sos, indicating an increase of more
than $4,000 over this year, but a
good part of this is due to legis-
lated pay boosts and overtime pay.
At the same time, the city heads
made public the estimates of the
Highway Department for the next
fiscal year, which reveal there is
hope that construction of the pro-
jected 81, 800, 900 South Capitol street
bridge over the Anacostia River
may be started this fiscal year as
war measure. 1t would provide
major new traffic route from
downtown Washington to Boiling
Field and other military establish
ments and Southern Maryland.
Street Maintenance.
Another feature OF the Highway
Department program is the request
for increased sums for street main
tenance work, due partly to the
heavy pounding the streets have
|. been taking from trucks in war
transportation work and partly to
the fact such funds this year and
last were reduced below former
levels.
For the recreation service, % ad-
ditional positions are requested, at
an increased cost of $39 ,080 and
other extra help is asked, at an ad-
ditional cost of $15,450, for pay of
temporary employees, school custo-
dians and for part-time leadership.
Twenty-one additional recreation
directors are needed, the Recreation
Board said, to provide adequate
staffs for many of the existing play
areas and to provide full forces for
number just opened or to be
opened this year. The extra per-
sonnel would be assigned to the
following play centers: Chevy Chase,
Edgewood, Turkey Thicket, Rose
dale, Kenilworth, Bundy, Francis,
Langston, Wilson High School,
Stoddert School, Macfarland Junior
High, Stuart Junior High, Hoover
Playground, Hillcrest Recreation
Center, Congress Heights Play
ground, Palisades, Merritt School,
| Fort Mahan, Carrollsburg and Park
side.
An increase of S2,700 is asked for
the aquatic program to permit ex-
| tension of the operation of street
| showers, swimming and wading
| pools for longer periods each day
| and to permit use of swimming
pools on Sundays in the summer
| period
An increase of $12,250 is asked
for part-time leadership to permit
| operation of additional school play
| grounds during the summer vaca-
| ton, to permit operation of school
Fairgrounds six full days per week,
and to supplement the regular an
| nual staff on year-round play
grounds with part-time personnel.
The capital outlay for playground
improvements would be increased
from the S32,500 this year to ST.
| 300 next fiscal year. Of this in
crease of $44 300, all but S5 900
would be transferred to the once
of National Capital Parks, which
would perform Improvements to a
long list of play areas, and the IS 1000
would be spent for remodeling the
Recreation Department headquar-
| ters at Sixteenth and Lamont streets
NV, which was built originally for
residential quarters.
10 New Shelter Houses.
Ten new shelter houses would be
provided for storage, sanitation and
office facilities (but not to be con-
fused with large community build
ings or field houses, which cannot
be erected during the war emerg-
| ency. They would be for the Stod-
dert, Raymond, Turkey Thicket,
Sherwood, Rose Park, Hoover, Bu-
chanan, Hillcrest. Oxon Run and
Logan Fairgrounds.
Drainage, sanitation, grading sur
facing or miscellaneous work would
be done at the following play
grounds: Chevy Chase, GEORGETOWN.
Stoddert. Twin Oaks, Raymond,
Park View, Columbia, Mitchell,
Happy Hollow, Langley. New York
| Avenue, Turkey Thicket, Logan,
Langdon Park, Rose Park, Sher-
wood, Rosedale, jefferson, Hoover.
Buchanan, Garfield, Virginia Ave-
nue., Hillcrest, Oxon Run and Lin
coin.
The Highway Department asks
an appropriation of $685. $3.50 for
next year which appears to be an
increase Of more than 50 ,208 900 over
this year but actually by reason
OF carried-over appropriations from
l943 and increased wartime salary
items, the department has planned
1945 program that is slightly be-
low this year as to expected reve-
nue. and outlay.
Paper Deficits.
One of the principal reasons for
this is that supplemental appro-
prlatlons approved by Congress
during the 1912 fiscal year, to speed
desired highway improvements, Gre
| ated what may be called paper"
uCliClIo lOI Tie lSfZ ana l943 nScal
years-accentuated by decreased
| revenues due to gas rationing-and
for this reason, last year, revenues
amounting to more than 81 900 600
were impounded, to be carried into
this fiscal year.
Last year an item of 81 900 900
was appropriated for beginning of
the South Capitol Street Bridge,
and this was continued available
for this year though war priorities
indicated this project would be de-
layed. Capt. H. C. Whitehurst,
highway director, said it now ap-
pears probable" this work may be
undertaken as war measure this
| year. and for this reason he asks
an additional $750,000 to continue
the work in 1945. He said the two
sums would be sufficient to complete
the bridge substructure.
Outside of minor increases for
various classes of work, on net
basis, the other feature of the High
way Department budget is for an
| ipnreaSa in tho fi1f,J fo,. n, into