Evening star., 1952-03-12

appropriated SIG million in a lump
sum to speed up the acquisition OF
parks, parkways and Fairgrounds
The District budget each year
contains an item, now about 81
million, to pay back this sum.
Then in 1912, the District Recre.
alton Board was created. by Con-
gress to centralize the various
types of recreational programs
being offered in the District by
various agencies.
The Interior Department con.
tends the 1912 act setting up the
District Recreation Board repealed
the, assignment provision" ane
any assignment of Fairgrounds by
the Planning Commission after
1892 is Intellectual and q nullity.'
The Interior Department also de-
clared:
"As to those lands assigned be-
fore the passage of the 1942 act,
the Interior Department contends
that the interior Department. re-
tanned jurisdiction over the as
signed lands since such lands were
assigned to the District Commits
sioners for playground purposes
only: that the 1912 act completely
divested the Commissioners of its
recreation functions and that,
therefore, control over the land
for playground purposes reverted
back to the Interior Department" J"
1888 Purchase Involved.
The reason this argument was
advanced in, the brief was that
fthe particular playground in
volved, Trinidad, was purchased in
1888 by the planning commission,
but assigned to the Commissioners
for a playground in 1912, after the
Recreation Board Act.
The brief continues:
"The 1912 act introduces a basic
contradiction and it is in conflict
with the assignment provision.
How can land be assigned and
what would be the purpose of such
an assignment to the District
Commissioners for playground
purposes when the Commissioners
do not possess recreation func-
tions?"
"The assignment clause con-
templates that the Commission
ers themselves would operate the
assigned lands as Fairgrounds
rather than being a mere con-
duit through which the lands
would ultimately be transferred
to another agency"
The same basic question was
raised in 1948 by the Interior De-
partment. The Federal agency
that year began it's all-out drive
to comply with President Tru-
mans announced civil rights pro-
gram.
Demanded Nom Segregation.
The Interior Department solic-
itor put out an opinion that year
saving that the Interior Depart
ment had control of these same
lands, since expanded by many
acres. At the same time the In
terror Deartment demanded that
the Recreation Board abolish its
segregated play system.
This 1948 opinion found its way
to the Attorney Generals office
for a ruling. Nothing has been
heard of it since.
The 1948 controversy had a de.
clded effect on the Recreation
Board, however.
/ The planning commission. until
then, had designated the lands
ut purchased for Fairgrounds as
leither colored or white. This
suddenly stopped. leaving the
Recreation Board with no pror
with which to defend its segre.
lgation policy.
The Recreation Board responded
10y removing language from its
bylaws preventing inter-racial op.
lerations. Since then. it has beer
moving slowly toward the elm.
Iination of segregation in recrea-
ton. The Recreation Boards by.
laws now call for the elimination
of segregation as fast as practic.
liable.
! A half dozen Fairgrounds have
1been turned into inter-racial unit.
.lsince then. and the Cardozo High
School has been set up as q city
wide recreation center for al
,lraces.