Evening star., 1953-04-26

set up a method by which the
National Capital Planning Com
mission could carry out in an
orderly fashion its paper plans
for an outstanding park system
for the Nations Capital and its
environs.
Exactly what the Capper-
Cramton Act envisioned has
taken place. But this dream of
an ideal park system is threat
ened now by the economy tactics
of the present Republican Con-
gress.
Some sentiment has arisen in
the Federal Budget Bureau for
scrapping the act to save money.
For the last two years Congress
has appropriated no funds for
land purchases under the act.
The budget for next year, as
passed by the House. again con-
tains no funds for park lands.
Master Plan Realized.
To see just what the Capper-
Cramton Act has done for the
development of parks in Wash
ington as well as the nearby
areas Of Maryland and Virginia,
The Star will examine the re-
suits in a series of three articles.
This one on the District is the
first. There will be one on Mary
land tomorrow and On Virginia
Tuesday.
The original plan for Washing
ton prepared by Major Pierre
L'Enfant provided for parks and
open spaces near public build
ings in the old city.
From then until the creation
of the Planning Commission in
1924, the parks growth of Wash
ington was marked by hit-or-
miss tactics. The Planning Com
mission drew up a master park
plan and the Capper -Cramton
Act which followed in 1880 gave
it a way to transfer these plans
into reality.
Present Status Outlined.
John Nolen, jr., director Of
planning for the Planning Com
mission, summed up the present
status of the city'S parks as fol.
lows:
l. The program for the parks
in Washington is almost COM
plete. No more major ones are
to be started.
2. Land for all the major
parks has been acquired with the
exception of small tracts needed
to round out certain areas. Rock
Creek Park, for example, is COM
pleted except for two small lots
near Nicholson street NV.
8. The projects remaining on
the master plan involve neigh
borhood parks and Fairgrounds.
All but three of the 26 planned
regional recreation centers have
been acquired. The remaining
three will be located in Cleve-
land Park, Georgetown and Pet
worth. A number of neighbor-
hood parks and Fairgrounds still
are unacquired.
4. Fort Drive is about SO per
cent completed. The remaining
land to be acquired is expensive
but its acquisition is not urgent.
Fort Drive is a project linking
the forts that circled the city
during the Civil War and will
contain a parkway trimming the
downtown area some day in ad-
dition to its recreation facilities.
SIG Million Authorized.
The Capper-Cramton Act has
sections dealing with the District,
nearby Maryland and Virginia,
and the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway. The act au-
thorized SIG million for purchase
of parks and parkways in Wash
ington. All of the money must
be repaid by the District tax
payers.
To date $12,118,944 has been
appropriated by Congress under
the authorization, leaving a bal
ance of $3,881 ,056 to go. The
District has paid back $10,936,-
735 so far Of the amount ap-
propriated.
The Planning Commission Is
hopeful that the remaining So
881, ,056, If Congress appropriates
it over the next few years, will
see the master park plan for the
city through to completion. It
my take more money. It may
take less.
2,593 Acres Purchase.
When the Planning Commits
sion was created in 1924, an ap-
preparation of $4,950,000 was
made for the purchase Of parks
and parkways in the District.
This was spent between 1924 and
1884. Money appropriated under
the Capper- -Cramton Act brought
the total spent for parks since
1924 to $17,068.944.
Since 1924, the Planning Com
mission has purchased 2,593
acres Of parks and parkways in
the city. It also acquired 997
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