Evening star., 1947-01-03
DC. Recreation
Far Below Need,
SurveyFinds
Increase in Facilities
Of 100 Pct. or More
Urged in Report
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II.

as much playground area, and II
some respects, from one-fourth tt
one-fifth the amount of play facili
ties required by National Standard!
for a city of 950,000, the Recreation
Committee Of the Social Survey re
ported today.
The committees report, mad,
public today after year Of study
Is part of the general survey being
conducted by the Council of Socia
Agencies with Community Ches
funds.
The committee report today mad,
detailed recommendations for whai
1t calls an absolute minimum" oi
facilities by 1855.
Washington should have 1,20t
acres of minor neighborhood play.
grounds, plus another 1900 acres
Of larger community play areas, OF
centers, the report said. At present
there are only 1924 acres in the
play system.
30 Pools Held Needed.
There are only one-fourth as
many swimming pools as there
ought to be; one-third as many
tennis courts, one-fifth as many
baseball diamonds, one-third as
many softban diamonds and one
fourth as many golf holes.
There are now eight public out
door swimming pools. There ought
to be 80. the report said-enough so
that 28,500 persons can swim at the
same time, If standards set by the
National Recreation Association and
Federal Security Agency are to be
met.
There are now only Is baseball
diamonds and should be 1853, 120
softball diamonds where there ought
TO be 316.
There are only 1854 tennis courts.
There should be ATS. And, there are
II golf holes where there should be
31l.
Picnic units should be increased
800 per cent, the National Sports
Center at the end of East Capitol
street, with its proposed stadium,
should be built; a modern tourist
camp should be built, but not in
East Potomac Park, and all ma ajor
play areas should be illuminated
for night use, the report asserted.
Among other recommendations OF
the committee was one for a down.
town club for Federal employees.
The committee based this sug-
gestion on a statement by the
Federal Recreation Committee that
there is a need for a large cluh
building of some kind; thai sue-l
q facility was the only one on
which 20 Federal agencies were
unanimous in a QUESTIONABLE survey
Of their ideas, and on War De-
partment survey of unmarried white
women over Is years old earning
under $4,000 in which about half
expressed a desire for a downtown
lounge and meeting place. aa
In the War Department survey %
per cent said they would use such
facilities regularly, % per cent oc-
casionally, II per cent infrequently
and "a per cent not at all. Four
per cent gave no answer.
Backs Board Jurisdiction.
Reviving long standing conflict
between Federal park and District
recreation officials, the report rec
ommends that organized recreation
should be administered entirely by
the District Recreation Board. This
would mean that the Office Of Ma
tional Capital Parks would confine
itself to areas of natural beauty,
monuments, wildlife conservation
and horticulture and provide rec
reation Of the passive type only.
Specifically, the report asked that
this be accomplished by turning over
to the board all swimming pools and
golf courses, as well as tennis courts
land on which recreation centers are
being developed, picnic places and
similar facilities.
Three members of the committee
Harold B. Chinn, Col. Campbell
johnson and Howard H. Long. took
exception to this recommendation
on the grounds Of racial discrimina-
tion.,
AS things now stand, park land
Is open indiscriminately to the
public, regardless of racial origin
District land used for Fairgrounds
is administered on segregated basis
like the school system.
The report asked that 30 to 81
neighborhood recreation councils be
set UP to coordinate public recrea-
ton with that provided by sociaI
agencies, churches and commercial
enterprise.
Central Committee Proposed.
These councils, the report said
should be headed by a central com
mittee under the Council of Socia
Agencies, and this committee should
fit its work into the framework o1
a metropolitan recreation council
set up as part of the metropolitan
social planning council, which is one
Of the major goals of the survey.
The National Capital Park and
flaming Commission should over
haul its recreation master plan anc
seek funds with which to make new
studies, 1t recommended.
The commission would find, tht
committee predicted, that many
residents are more than a quarter
Of mile from a playground anc
more than half a mile from a majo,
play center.
In making new recreation plans
IT, continued, particular attention
should be given to what new hous.
ing projects will need in the way
Of play space.
Urges Daylight Saving Time.
The report recommended thai
recreation experts be attached IL
the Council of Social Agencies t.
give advice; that gymnasiums, audi.
Wriuns and other recreation space
III Federal buildings be freed fol
recreation use; that a central art.
and crafts and dramatic center bt
set up; that daylight saving tim,
be placed in effect during the sum.
mer, and that recreation opportuni
ties for girls and young women b,
given special weight in play pro.
grams.
The 39-man committee is headee
by John s. Bartlett. 1t include,