Evening star., 1944-04-28
House Subcommittee
Weighs Expansion
Of Play Facilities
$4,000 Additional Fund.
Sought to Hire Aides
For Ia Fairgrounds
BY DON S. WARREN.

N0eQS OF expanding DlStr1ct rec
reation facilities to counteract juve-
nile delinquency and afford health
full leisure-time activities to Wash
ington's swollen population were
considered today by the House Dis
Itrict Appropriations Subcommittee
After running through the school
Estimates, largest single section of
the record-breaking 1945 budget, the
subcommittee heade by Represent
Iative Coffee, Democrat, OF Washing
ton took up the 1884 900 Recreation
Board proposals and later was to
hear justifications for the $4,767, 900
Police Department estimates.
An increase of more than $50, 900
in its salary funds is sought by the
Recreation Board to hire help for
IA additional Fairgrounds and for
seasonal employment of play leaders
and custodians. The requests also
call for more than $4,000 for i'm
provements to Is of the older play
grounds.
New Police Rank Asked.
A high light of the police esti-
mates is proposed creation of the
new rank of corporal, one step above
the top private, to direct squads
when superior officers are not pres
ent. There would be IS corporals,
to be recruited from the present
force. They would be paid $500 q
Year, or 5000 more than top privates.
When the morning session ended
today Chairman Coffee said the sub
committee was favorably impressed
with requests for expansion of the
recreation facilities and personnel
and with the Police Department pro-
posals for creating the rank of
corporal. He said compliments were
paid to members of the Police De-
partment who give up their own
time to serve in the departments
band
Fire Department estimates were
to be heard this afternoon and Mr..
Coffee said the hearings would be
recessed over the week end, to- re-
sumo again on Monday at 10 "a nj.
Mr.. Coffee declared II was un-
fair to District taxpayers to have
to bear the cost of free schooling
the District now must give to chill
dren Of nonresident parents who
work here, but reside beyond the
District lines.
School ofdcials advised the group,
he. said, that the cost now runs to
between $200. 900 and $500 900 a year
for $500 tuition-free nonresident
pupils. Mr.. Coffee said at least a
small tuition fee should be charged.
There were indications the subcom-
mittee might decide to make fight
for this objective.
Immediate Saving Doubted.
Representative Stefan, ranking
minority member of the subcommit-
tee, inquired If there would be real
savings in costs If nonresidents
were denied entrance to District
public schools, but was told likely
not, except over a long period since
nonresident pupils were scattered
through a long list of schools which
still would have to be operated.
School. Supt. Robert L. Hay
cock told the group he felt COM
pulsory military training in the
schools would be "unwise" since
many of the older pupils have after
school work. The present voluntary
system is working well, he added.
Mr.. Coffee said there was a favor
able reaction to the estimates fol-
the Free Public Library, presented
by Miss Clara Herbert, librarian
These total $785,347, or 9 per cent
over this year, and include $25, ,0OC
for purchase of branch library sites
in the Brookland, Tenley and Ben
ming sections as we'll as increased
funds for printing and binding.
He said costs of the library here
on a per capita basis, are lower than
most cities of comparable size ano
well below standards of the Ameri-
can Library Association, which sets
81 per capita as the minimum and
$3.50 per capita as a good" stand