Evening star., 1949-03-28
40 MorePo|ice
For Parks Asked
In House Bill
Unit OKs Fund Bill
Urges Boost to Halt
Gruesome' Crimes

Funds to provide 40 additional
men for the park police here are
included in the Interior Depart
ment appropriation bill for the
fiscal year beginning July l.. as
reported to the House today by
the Appropriations Committee.
The committee urged strongly
that the House approve the item
in the hope of obviating recur-
renee of gruesome crimes commit
ted In the past several years."
The number of offenses occur
ring on park land in recent years
has established that the present
force is inadequate for efficient
and effective protection of the
park system" the committee COM
mented.
The additional money-$150 900
is contained in a $1,O50.0 900 item
for the National Capital Parks. the
figure recommended by the Bud
get Bureau. The total for this
Office in the bill as reported is
S260.000 above the amount made
available for the current fiscal
year.
Parkway Funds Cut.
Money for continuation of work
on the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway also is included
in the bill. but the committee
made 100000 cut in the ST.
100000 Budget Bureau recon-
mendation for work on this and
other parkways administered by
the National Park Service.
The Park Service would get a
total of 28,056.000 for operating
the Nations national parks dur
ing the next fiscal year-$14,946.-
900 more than appropriated for
this fiscal year. but s1,400,000 less
than the Budget Bureau recon-
mendation.
Much of the increase would be
used in what Park Service Off
Sld1o SdllCo lllllllllOlii Plo-
gram of repairs to roads and other
facilities in the park. neglected
since before the war.
During hearings on the bill Of
ficials pointed to the record post
war use of park areas by the
public.
Bars Travel Promotion.
The committee. however, struck
out a $63,600 item for travel pro-
motion by the Park Service, call
ing it IAN utter waste of funds
for the Government to promote
and encourage travel"
If Congress grants the money
for 40 more park policemen the
force would add one ,fnspectpr,
one motorcycle sergeant, =. two
other sergeants, four motorcycle
privates, six horse-mounted pri-
Yates and 26 other privates.
The horseback patrols would be
used to give additional protection
on bride paths.
The bill, made public today, re-
vealed the committee was i'm
pressed by plea OF Frank t.
Gartside, assistant superintendent
of National Capital parks.
THE brutal murder of 11-year-
old Carol Bardwell in Rock Creek
Park by a sex maniac focused
direct attention, and strongly re-
f1ected, our weakness of adequate
patrol of isolated and less-fre-
ouented park areas" Mr.. Gartside
said in testimony on the measure.
SO Police a Minimum.
He emphasized that minimum
of SO park policemen was consid-
cred necessary for adequate" pro-
! lection of the public and Federal
property, but explained the re-
quest had been cut to 40 by the
Budget Bureau.
He pointed out that the National
! Capital Parks consists of 10000
! acres. approximately half in the
Metropolitan Area. Chicago, with
6,955 acres, has 736 park police
men, he said, and Philadelphia,
with 1900 acres, has 407.
OF the increase recommended
for the National Capital Parks,
s22,656 would cover maintenance
at Forts Washington. Hunt and
Foote, work previously done by
other agencies.