REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 81 



ROCK CREEK INTERCEPTING SEWERS. 



The District of Columbia completed the construction of the main 

 intercepting sewer through the park in October, 1914, and shortly 

 thereafter built a large connecting sewer to this from the intercept- 

 ing sewer that had been constructed through the park some years 

 before. In accomplishing this work there was necessarily a con- 

 siderable amount of destruction and defacement of natural features 

 along the line of the work. The District authorities and the con- 

 tractor have removed the excavated material and restored the ground 

 to its original condition so far as that is practicable, but some ex- 

 penditure on the part of the park and considerable time will be re- 

 quired to bring it again into satisfactory condition. 



PLAYGROUND PRIVILEGE. 



At its request, the playground department of the District of Co- 

 lumbia was allowed to install several pieces of apparatus on a meadow 

 near which is a favorite resort of picnic parties. The apparatus has 

 been quite largely used. Objectionable features thus far have been 

 some temporary disfigurement of an attractive part of the x)ark and 

 the tendency to extend playground operations beyond the area that 

 was allotted for that purpose. 



IMPORTANT NEEDS. 

 BUILDINGS. 



The importance of providing certain permanent buildings for 

 housing the collection and for other purposes has been urged for 

 several years past, but, with the scanty means available, all that 

 could be done was to provide, from two yearly appropriations, a small 

 building to meet the bare necessities of a hospital and laboratory. 

 An aviary building is still a most urgent need, and repeated efforts 

 have been made to secure an appropriation for this purpose. A 

 building to accommodate elephants, hippopotami, and certain other 

 animals whose requirements as to housing and care are similar will 

 soon be a necessity, as the present temporary quarters are already 

 too small and insecure for the young animals, which are rapidly grow- 

 ing and acquiring formidable strength. 



The need of a public-comfort and restaurant building has been 

 stated repeatedly and attention called to the fact that the facilities 

 which it has been possible thus far to provide are altogether inade- 

 quate and not befitting a public institution of this character. 



Gatehouses should be provided at the principal entrances, all of 

 which are at considerable distance from the exhibition buildings, and 

 1S618°— SM 1915 6 



