Evening star., 1935-04-07
FEDERATION SPLIT
ON UNIFIED RULE
OF RECREAT|0NS
Log-RoIIing, FiIibustering
and Politics Charged in
2-Hour Debate.
QUINN AND ROBERTS
BOTH IN ATTENDANCE
Call of No Quorum Halts Con-
sideration of Report Favoring
Advisory Group Proposal.

The membership of the Federation
of Citizens Associations split last
night on how to accomplish unified
control of the Districts recreation
facilities, now divided among three
major Government units.
After more than two hours of acri-
monious debate, during which charges
of log-rolling. filibustering and deal
ing IN politics were heard, the body
ran up against a call of no quorum
made by Henry l. Quinn, member of
the Board of Education. who is one
of the three members of the Recrea-
tion Committee set up for temporary
and voluntary joint management of
recreation facilities.
The roll call showed there were
two associations short of a quorum
and the meeting adjourned at mid
night with no action taken.
Quinn, Roberts Present.
The tenseness of the meeting on
this matter was enhanced by the
presence of both Quinn and William
A. Roberts, peoples counsel. who re-
Gently challenged the legality of es-
tablshment of the temporary Recrea-
ton Committee. which consists of
Quinn, representing schools; Commits
sioner Allen, the District government.
and C. Marshall Finnan, superin-
tendent Of National Capital parks.
Debate arose over a report by Harry
N Stull of the Committee on Educa-
ton, who asked the federation to
support the proposal of the Commits
sioners' Advisory Committee on Play
grounds and Recreation. That body
of so citizens proposed legislation for
the creation of a recreation board OF
nine members. Three of the mem
bers would be appointed by the Com
missioners, three by the Board of
Education and three by the superin-
tendent of National Capital parks.
Suter Proposes Substitute.
Jesse c. Suter, delegate from the
Society of Natives. Immediately pro-
posed a substitute calling for legisla-
ton for board of nine, all to be
named by the District Commissioners.
Each would have to have five years
District residence.
Stull declared his plan the most
feasible for a control organization and
asked for action last night because
the Senate District Committee was to
take up the matter Tuesday.
Suter said the plan sponsored by
Stull was based on an absurd" idea,
since it would mean the Interior De-
partment would appoint three men,
bers with no requirement that they be
District residents. He charged the
present temporary commission set-up
was a "monstrosity" even if a fed
Grafton member (Quinn) was a men,
Der. He asked how Quinn and Allen
could dominate the commission, hav-
ing a Federal officer as the third
member and with the chairman OF
the Park and Planning Commission as
the Recreation Committee head, even
though he had no vote.
"Other Strings Involved"
rolling involved to such degree that
| Quinn would dry up and blow away
in a puff" Suter said.
| In reply, Stull charged that the
Suter plan would mean the end, ab-
solutely, of the Community Center
! Department of the public schools"
| Quinn made a vigorous defense of
the temporary Recreation CommiS-
sion set-up insisting it was perfectly
| legal and that none of the three in
terested agencies would lose any of
its own rights. He argued for fur
ther study of the whole problem be-
cause Congress would be in session
for long time and would not act
soon on this legislation.
James G. Yaden, Federation presi-
dent, in supporting the Stull report.
| declared he would never vote to give
the District Commissioners any more
power than they now have until the
attitude of the Commissioners" is
changed. This had to do with mo-
| ton to bar Federal or District officers
| from membership on the Recreation
Board as proposed by Suter.
Retaliation Threatened.
When Quinn raised the question of
no quorum and other delegates started
to walk out, Stull charged there was
an attempt to delay action by fill
buster and shouted: IF you want to
fight that way and persist in opposing
action, I will remember that and fight
you in the same way later"
Quinn Immediately accepted this
Challenge"
When the voting finally began Su-
| ter's plan first was voted down. Then
motion by George E. Sullivan to
postpone action until q later meeting
was lost. A Sullivan motion to bar
Federal and District employees from
the Recreation Board was then voted
down.
As Quinn raised the point Of no
quorum a motion to adjourn was in
terjected. This, too, was voted down.
After roll call was taken, L. A. Car
rutherS, who was in the chair, re-
ported the lack Of a quorum by two
associations.
Previously there was a long debate
over two bills to place new teeth in
the law against smoke nuisance. DR..
Charles B. Campbell, for the Health
Committee, urged sIvport for the bill
drafted by Peoples Counsel Roberts.
Finally the federation placed the mat
ter In the hands Of the Health Com
mittee and the Laws and Legislation
Committee, which were directed to
cooperate with the peoples counsel
in supporting the principle involved
in his bill.
Recreation Group to Meet.