Evening star., 1923-04-08
.URGESU. s. OPERATE
PUBLIC GOLF LINKS
Senator Jones Advocates
Change-SherriIl Believes
Present System Best.

Government operation of the public
golf courses, bathing beach, ETC., ver-
sus operation OF these recreation
grounds and beach by concession to
private individuals is a question that
is receiving attention by members of
Congress, Col. Sheriff.. superintend-
ent of public buildings and grounds,
and the public itself.
Col. Sheriff., who has charge of the
recreation grounds, is, under existing
conditions. unqualifiedly in favor of
the concession plan. He believes that
1t is really in tie interest of the pub
lie to use the golf courses, bathing
beach, etc, and that ii gets facili
ties which it would not otherwise
have.
Col. Sherrilrs View.
Col. Sheriff. believes. however. that
eventually the golf courses. and all
the other sports for which fees are
charged, should be turned over to the
Welfare Association of the executive
departments. which operates under
the supervision of the superintendent
of public buildings and grounds and
the superintendent of the State. War
and Navy buildings. This association.
while not a government agency. is
not run fro profit. Col. Shr:rilis idea
is that under such operation i will
paid by the public to use the golf
courses, etc. for further extensions
and improvements.
Senator Jones of Washington.
member of the Senate district and
appropriation committees, takes a
somewhat different view of the mat
ter, though he believes that the plan
to place the operation of all these
recreation fields and beaches under
the Welfare Association probably
would work well.
Against Private Operation.
'T believe" said Senator Jones yes
terday, that Congress should author
iZe the office of superintendent of
public buildings and grounds TO fix
all the fees to be charged for playing
golf, tennis. ETC.. and to use the
moneys 80 received for the upkeep of
the links. courts and beaches. If il Is
found that the fees paid in aggregate
more than is needed for maintenance
and operation. then it should be the
duty of the office OF public buildings
and grounds to reduce the charges
to the public. ! firmly believe that
the public should have this benefit,
rather than it should go to private
Individuals"
Col. Sheriff. pointed out yesterday
that it would require from $4,000 to
100000 in appropriations for the gov
ernment to operate the golf courses
and all the other recreation grounds
He estimated that the fees paid in by
the public would be in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000. This would mean
that Congress would have to be asked
for an appropriation of some $4,000
to $4,000 "A year for the upkeep of
these public Fairgrounds.
That il Is difficult to get such ap-
preparations for recreation from Con-
eress for the District is generally
admitted. II was said
Col Sheriff. nnjnfe ont OLE H.,
the public demands more than a mere
golf cOurse-that IL wants restau-
rants. golf instructors and experts
to mend golf clubs, at the golf
courses, and similar conveniences at
the bathing beach. II would be very
difficult for the government to enter
into such business. he said, because
of the great care that must be used
by the government in accounting and
making disbursements and taking in
money.
Senator Jones, on the other hand
insisted that If restaurants and golf
experts were dema nded by the puba
lie. those activities could be cared
Tor by concessions, while the govern
ment looked after Incorporation and
maintenance of the recreation
grounds itself. He said that munich
pal golf courses were operated by
the government in his state in just
that way-the restaurants, etc, being
run by concessionaires. while the
actual grounds were handled by the
municipal authorities.
Turns Over Tennis Courts.
Col Sheriff. has made a start at
turning over to the Welfare Asso-
citation the operation of the recrea-
tion grounds this year, placing un-
der the charge of the association the
tennis courts, for which no charge
f2s been made in past years. He said
that the funds provided by Congress
for the parks were not sufficient to
continue to operate the tennis courts
free this year.
The concessions for the golf courses.
both those in Potomac Park and
Rock Creek Park. run four more
years, and the existing plan will
therefore be continued with regard
to the golf courses for at least that
! length of time.
Col. Sheriff. declared that the con-
golf courses had been most advanta-
geous to the government and the
public. He said that the concession
in Potomac Park had worked ex-
tremely we'll The golf course in
Rock Creek Park has yet to be OPEN
ed for use. The concessionaire of
that course, however, has agreed to
expend $1,000 in the next four years
for improvements to the course,
which is more than the course cost
to build, he said.
No concessions have been made in
connection with the base ball and
are in contemplation, Col. Sheriff.
said. The upkeep of these grounds
really is in line with the work on
the parks themselves he pointed out