Evening star., 1947-04-21
Capital Parks Budget
|0f 100000
BY House Committee

Washington has come out OF the
war with some of its statues and
memorials in need of repair and q
great need for additional Federal
buildings here, the House Appropri-
ations Committee was informed dur
ing hearings on the Interior De-
partment bill reported out today.
After hearing that the statues had
suffered great deal" from lack
of care during the war and that
more park policemen were needed
the Appropriations Committee ap-
proved a $4,000 budget for the
Office of National Capital Parks
The appropriation, however. was
s157 500 less than the department
requested.
The appropriations group also
learned during the hearings that
some of the concessions operated in
the parks by Government Services,
Inc. made a profit, but the SWIM
ming pools lost money!
Asking $12,5o0 for maintenance
of statues and monuments, Arthur
E. Demaray, associate director OF
the National Park Service, cited the
case Of the Peace Monument just
west of the Capitol on Pennsylvania
avenue. The statue he testified,
has lost hand.
IA Policemen Requested.
In requesting IA more park police
men, Mr.. Demaray disclosed that
the District Commissioners have
agreed to four more park police
men under their appropriation. This
would bring to 1873 men the force
for policing the 30,723 acres under
National Capital Parks.
The department also asked in
creased maintenance funds for
Chopawamsic Park, near Quantico,
Va. Mr.. Demaray said the funds
were needed to put the area In shape
again. Formerly used for summer
camps, it was occupied during the
war by the Army and the Marine
Corps.
The Governments need for more
buildings of its own here was
stressed by H. P. Caemmerer,. Fine
Arts Commission secretary, who re-
ported the Government rents 223
buildings with 100000 square feet
of Office space at cost of approx
mately $5,500,000 annually.
Pointing to the unprecedented
growth" of the Capital in the past
five years, Mr.. Caemmerer said q
great need for public structures has
been created but has not been met
because of the shortage of critical
materials.
District Needs Buildings.
For the District, Mr.. Caemmerer
reported, certain school buildings,
fire and police stations and hospi-
tails are "also much needed" He
said the commission is being con-
suited by the municipal architect
on designs for these projects.
Mr.. Caemmerer informed the
committee that many other postwar
projects will get under way here as
son as building materials become
available.
In this class he listed the new
General Accounting Office. designed
to house 10000 workers: the Army
Medical Library, completion of the
new District Library and several
branch libraries and the West Mu-
nicipal Center Building. Plans also
are being made to double the size
of the National Airport.
From Mr.. Demaray, the commit
tee learned how much money the
GSI-operated concessions made in
the past year. Most profitable of
all, Mr.. Demaray said, was the
stand at the Washington
which made a profit of
se, 1906.
Two Others Made Profit.
Mr.. Demaray, who is former pres
ident of the GSI corporation, re-
ported the bicycle rental concession
made a profit of s4,945.4o and the
Tidal Basin boathouse cleared
$1,177.77.
On the red side OF the ledger,
Mr.. Demaray told the lawmakers,
the East Potomac Park pool lost
s., 2,257.72; Banneker, $1,791.5o; Ana
costa, 1868 .46; Francis, $4,899.7l,
and Mckinley. $3,697.20.
When one Of the committee mem
bers remarked that "the swimming
pool business is not very profitable
business to the Government" Mr..
Demaray responded. st is the only
way that it can be operated"