Evening star., 1951-12-12

DUoIu vUleS ~ HyW
Reorganization Plan
On Recreation Control
The District Recreation Board
plans to take directly 10 the Com
missioners its fight against any
surrender Of its authority.
The board voted yesterday to
ask an immediate conference with
the city heads to present It's case.
The move follows last weeks pro-
posal by the Commissioners to-
take over control Of the recrea-
ton body under suggested city
reorganization.
AT yesterdays session, the rec
reation group also approved BIZ
racial use of the Hoover Play
ground, Second and N streets S.W.
The unanimous vote followed pro
and con arguments by residents
and others interested in the area.
Board Chairman Harry S. Wen
der strongly criticized the Com
missioners' reorganization pro-
posal regarding his unit.
Mr.. Wender explained it is his
understanding the proposal would
abolish the board and empower
the Commissioners to set up "any
board it saw fit This would
mean that the Commissioners
would have full power to tell
the board what to do" he said.
adding:
I personally feel that is a vervI
dangerous power for the Board OF
commissioners to have, particu-
larly in a community where we
have no VOTE"
MIR. Wender declared that the
present system, under which the
Commissioners appoint board
members and control the budget
but otherwise have no say, has
proven to be a good policy" The
new ideas. he asserted, would
destroy everything we've worked
for all these years."
A report prepared by Recrea-
ton Supt. Milo F. Christensen
contended the Commissioners
proposal is In conflict with Public
Law 534, under Which the recrea-
ton body was established.
Educational Preparation.
The law, the report stated, was
enacted after several years of
education. Interpretation and de-
velopment of community accept
ance and reconciliation that ad-
ministration of public recreation
in the District of Columbia could
best be executed by an inde-
pendent board on which both Of
f1cial agencies and lay members
could jointly team up to do the
job"
The report cited membership
OF representatives of the National
Capital Parks and Board Of Edu-
cation and asserted that ut is diff
flcult to expect the Department of
Interior and the Board Of Educa-
ton, an independent agency, to
give up their basic authority" on
the board.
Also questioned was the willing
ness OF citizens to serve as lay
members on a board that would
be solely advisory to the Commits
Isioners.
The report cited a study includ-
ed in the Auchincloss home-rule
report in 1947 supporting the de-
STABILITY of independent boards to
control parks and recreation fa-
Icilities.
A prominent real estate man and
two residents opposed conversion
OF the Hoover Playground from
white to bi-racial use.
apartment q FACTOR.
The real estate man, Edward L.
McAleer. said his firm is about to
acquire the Kober Apartments.
adjacent to the playground. and
plans to retain them for white
occupancy. Earlier, it had been
understood, the building was to be
converted to use by Negroes. the
board was told.
Mrs. Frances N. Rousseau
speaking for the Amidon-Fair-
brother -Greenleaf PTA, and
Daniel p. Riordan, 1855 Fourth
street S.W., also opposed the
|change.
/ Testifying in support were Leon
Is. Calhoun, president of the
southwest Civic Association: Mrs
Alyce c. Gullattee, G. Lawson
CLARK, 11Q p street S.W., and Mrs
Alexander Stewart, HOS Fourth
street S.W.. wife of the minister
OF Gorsuch Methodist Church.
/ The board voted to POSTPONE
the retirement of Miss Sibyl Baker
assistant superintendent, for six
months. Tt had been scheduled
for the end of January.
i Col. Frank H. Collins was elected
vice chairman. succeeding James
IE. Schwab, who recently resigned.
Written tributes were presented to
Mr.. Schwab from the board and
the staff In recognition of his