Evening star., 1932-10-16
|GRANT LISTS 4
|LUNCHR00MS|NU
BUILDINGS IN CITY
Report Says Part of Profits
Is Expended for I'M
provements.
PRICES SLIGHTLY ABOVE
CHEAPEST RESTAURANTS
Regular Inspections Made and
Highest Sanitation Standard
Declared Required.

buildings in Washington, with a seat
I ing capacity of 4,5l9, occupying 1884,
ISL square feet. most of which serve
! only luncheons, but some of which
serve also breakfast and dinner, Lieut..
Col. u S. Grant Sd. in charge of pub
lie buildings and grounds. yesterday re-
ported to the special House committee
investigating Government competition
with private business.
This report is in reply to a question
naire of so specific interrogations
drafted by the National Restaurant
Association in cooperation with the
United States Chamber of Commerce.
and presented to Chairman Shannon
of the House committee.
One group of five cafeterias and four
lunch counters. operated under the
Welfare and Recreational Association,
a n-governmental agency directly
under Col Grants supervision. served
l90,808 meals during June. The cash
value of this business aggregated S52,-
| 03721
Replying to a question as to whether
| any of the officers of this Welfare and
| Recrea tional Association receive salaries
: lOI SClNLNCo, NOl NldI CAPldLliSo lLA1C
! the president. vice president and trus-
| tees Of the association receive no COM
| pensation. The treasurer who is re-
| tired Government employee. is paid
/ $1,000 year The secretary received
no salary for his duties in that office,
but he is also employed as general man
! ager and for those duties he received
| $500 year.
Origin Is Explained.
! Explaining how the association came
| into existence, Col. Grant said he has
! always been opposed to Government
! competition with business and to any
business which should stand on its own
| feet being subsidized by any eXpendl-
| ture of funds raised by general taxa
! ton" and to prevent such a condition
| the Welfare and Recreational Associa-
| ton was institut2d 1T receives no
! subsidy from public funds and must
necessarily be run so as to make It's
business pay its own way. although It
carries on only such business as is
needed for the efficiency Of the Govern
ment service and the convenience OF
! Government employees
| Col Grant said the profit since its
incorporation up to the end Of the fiscal
wear or June 80 has been S248.4 .66.
remainder of the profit has been used in
building eof courses, tennis courts, base
ball diamonds ard making other I'M
provements in the parks. constructing
roadways. public comfort stations,
cabins and making other improvements
in the tourist camp. and in purchasing
equipment for newly opened cafeterlas
or cafeterias taken over from other
Government agencies. Any profits not
so used are deposited in the United
States Treasury as miscellaneous re-
ceipts."
Asked how the prices charged in Gov
ernment cafeterias and lunch counters
compare with prices charged in pri-
vately-operated restaurants. Col. Grant
replied. 1T is believed prices in the
associations eating places are slightly
higher than in the cheapest CONNER
c!al establishments number of petit
tions have been received from patrons
of the associations cafeterias for lower
prices, the claim being made that the
prices charged are higher than those in
commercial eating places.
| Inspected Regularly.
Asked whether the Government
restaurants are subject to supervision
and inspection by the Health Depart
! H1eul vi lllc blSlI ICl, wi. vi dllG Sdi0
They are regularly inspected by the
sanitary inspector Of the Office of Pub
lie Buildings and Public Parks of the
National Capital and are required tc
meet the highest standards Of cleanli-
ness and sanitation"
Answering another question as to
where the profit goes from the opera
tion of these restaurants, Col. Grant
says: Under an agreement with the
director of Public Buildings and Public
Parks. one-half of the cash surplus
over and above operating balance oil
$4,000 is deposited in the Treasury OF
the United States to the credit of mis-
cellaneous receipts. The half which Is
! retained by the corporation. If not
needed in the construction of athletic
facilities in the parks or any other eX-
pansion or replacement of equipment,
must likewise eventually go to the Gov
, ernment, as there are no stockholders
in the corporation. and it is expressly
provided in the bylaws that no profit
shall inure to any private individual"
Gifts Made to Chest.
In Justification for the operation of
eating places in the Government build
ings Col. Grant said:
| TT is in the interests of all taXpay-
ers that the Government administra-
| ton should be as efficient as possible,
and there is just demand at this time
that the Governments business shall
be transacted as efficiently as that of
any private business enterprise. Prac-
tically all our major industries and
large retail establishments have found
that it is good business to have cafe
terias and eating places for their en-
ployes. This is true in Washington as
| elsewhere They do not do this so
much for love of their employees, as be-
cause it is good business, and most OF
| them find it good business even when
| they have to pay considerable def
| cit each year to keep these cafeterias
going. Surely the Government has
right to do the same and the selfish
desire of few who think they might
profit by exploiting Government en-
ployes, should not be permitted to in
| terfere with the best interests of the
many"
He pointed out that the Welfare and
Recreational Association besides paying
the net profits into the Treasury as mis-
cellaneous receipts contributes annually
to the Community Chest and extends
relief to the unemployed through dona-
tions of foodstuffS to the local missions.
ANY of the funds not SO used must even
tually find their way into the Treasury
! of the United States to the credit OF
miscellaneous receipts because they can
not under any circumstances be devoted
| to private use. Because of the interest
| of the Government in the funds taken
in through the concessions operated in
the public buildings and parks by the
association, its accounts are audited by
the general accounting ofice-every
dollar received and every dollar paid out
Is checked by that agency"