Evening star., 1951-04-07
Square Dances,
Politics Blamed
In County Row
'Sone' Program to Win
Booking Of Boord
In Prince Georges
By J. [. MichoeI

ana plans TO teach square dancing
to parents have wrecked the
Prince Georges County Recrea-
ton Board.
But the recreation machinery.
smoothly and gaining
impetus under competent direc-
ton, has not been smashed beyond
Hundreds of Prince Georges
school children. facing a summer
vacation in cramped back yards
or on traffic-f1lled streets, are
concerned.
So, too, are thousands of dis.
appointed and angry parents, a
large percentage of whom are
registered voters.
The impasSe came about when
the Recreation Boards request
for $63,730 for the next fiscal
year was stricken from the county
budget along with $50,000 for
civil defense.
DeDaLeQ at hearing.
A change of only one vote IN
the commissioners lineup, it was
learned, will cause the county
heads to find" enough money,
now that the budget is finally
closed. to keep the recreation
board moving in low gear.
The recreation plan was de-
bated at hearing on the budget
attended by more than 200 back
ers of the program, including
some Is jealous speakers.
Irked at what they consider
high pressure tactics. the COM
refused to restore q
penny for recreation and in addi-
ton ordered the return of county,
owned playground equipment.
Members of the Recreation
Board. named when the previous
Democratic commissioners set up
the agency in 1949 with an initial
appropriation of $4,000 are c.
Gerald Buscher, H. Smith Pur-
dunn. Irwin I. Main and Thomas
S. Gwynn, jr., assistant superin-
tendent of county schools.
Director Employed.
Persons close to the Recreation
Board said last night that it would
have been BETTER if all four board
members had resigned when the
Republicans took Office. That,
they asserted, was particularly
true of Mr.. Buscher, who is known
to be on the outs with at least one
of the commissioners.
Many citizens, this source said,
urged that Mrs. Clyde Eyerson Of
the University of Maryland fac
ulty be given the post held by Mr..
Purdum because of her training
in physical education.
Soon after the board was estab-
lished, Temple FARRELL, with Is
years experience in recreation
work in the Canal Zone, the Dis
trict, and the Atomic Energy
project at Oak Ridge. Tenn, was
employed to direct the agency at
$500 year. In addition, he was
allowed a secretary at $2,500 o
year.
Tops Other Salaries.
Three board members under the
original setup received $500 q
year while Mr.. Purdum as execu-
tive secretary was paid 81 900 an
nually. It was Mr.. Jarrell's $500
a year pay that spurred resent
ment because it is more than
some top officials of the county
government receive, including the
States attorney and the county
controller.
Included in this years county
budget was a $4,000 appropria-
tions for the Recreation Board.
About 80 per cent of this, Mr..
FARRELL said, was used to pay the
salaries of supervisory personnel.
The Recreation Board this year
used IA Fairgrounds furnished by
the communities, and equipment
supplied by them or the county,
and confined its activities to PLAN
ming, supervision and administra-
tion.
Attendance at the Fairgrounds,
operated 40 days last summer.
ranged from 100 to 300 daily, Mr..
FARRELL said. The program was so
attractive to children and parents
that 20 more communities planned
to take part this year. Co-operat-
ing with the Recreation Board are
community recreation councils
with $50 members representing
302 civic organizations with a
total membership of 10000.
Dancing for Oldsters.
Programs have been arranged
with the major emphasis on
recreation for children to r. and
teen-agers. Next in order Of i'm
portance were athletic schedules
and, as an expansion intended to
include entire families, programs
for adults were to be inaugurated
this year.
The oldsters, it was explained,
were among other things to be
given an opportunity to learn
square dancing.
The commissioners, some Of
them accustomed to fancy foot
work behind a pillow. did not take
kindly to the idea. It played q
large part in their decision to toss
out the board and all its work.
| But Mr.. FARRELL said that only
u per cent of the asked-for funds
would have gone to the adult pro-
gram and he believes the board
would agree to dispense with all
activities planned this year except
those for young children and teen
Iagers.
Would Back Sane Program.
Sources close to the commits
|sioners were of the opinion that if
the Recreation Board will revise
its plan and come before the COM
Observation-Disclosures the vocifer-
011S proccifro oroy1nS onI xxyifI1 q