Evening star., 1937-01-27
.|CKES WILL REVEAL
WASH|NGTONNEED
FOR AUDITORIUM
Survey Showing Capital Lag
to Be Submitted to Senate
Committee.
VIEWS ARE REQUESTED
ON ROBINSON MEASURE
Report Was Prepared Last Sum-
mer in Connection With Power
Conference Here.

Secretary of Interior IckeS, one of
the first to protest the lack of a suit
able auditorium in Washington after
being drenched on Inauguration day,
will present to a Senate committee
tomorrow a survey showing how far
the Capital Is behind other cities in
this respect.
Pondering over huge sheet Of
figure, Ickes explained: This shows
very graphically that Washington Is
worse of in comparison than any other
city of comparable size"
Ickes had accepted an invitation to
appear before the Committee on Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds at 1890
am. He was asked by Chairman
Connally Of Texas to express his views
on the Robinson bill, which sets up
commission to submit plans to Con-
gress for an auditorium in which fu-
ture Inauguration ceremonies and
other huge gatherings might be held.
Ickes Named to Commission.
AS the official custodian of most Of
the Government buildings in Wash
ington. Ickes is designated in the
bill as one of the members of the
commission.
The report which Ickes will present
was prepared last Summer in connec-
ton with the Third International Pow
er Conference held here. This ses-
sion proved humiliation to Govern
ment officials here, for it was neces-
Sary to hold the banquet in Union
Station, there being no other building
large enough to accommodate the
5000 diners. Ickes tucked the report
| away for future use.
1t is a survey of the civic halls,
their seating capacity, cost and loca-
ton in l9 cities. The cities are In
dianapolis, Chicago, Memphis, New
Orleans, Kansas City, Atlantic City,
Baltimore. st. Paul. St. Louis, San
Francisco, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Den
yer, Philadelphia, Toronto, Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
With the exceptions of indianapolis,
Dallas, Cincinnati and possibly Grand
Rapids, the municipal auditoriums in
these cities are all much larger than
Constitution Hall in Washington, which
has a seating capacity of slightly
over 1000. The Washington Audi
torium, it was pointed out, has been
taken over by the Works Progress Ad-
miniStration for Office purposes.
Fayors Memorial to Jefferson.
Ickes favors erection of an audi
torium as memorial to Thomas JEFF
ferson which would be appropriate in
size and design to the needs Of a
world capital.
In advance Of his appearance be-
fore the Senate committee he refrained
from estimating the cost or the
method Of financing. The latter point
particularly is important.
He pointed out. however, that At
lantic City has an auditorium seating
4l,000, erected at cost of 5000, 600
Costs in some of the other cities in.
cluded in the survey were $4,000, ,OOC
for ST. Louis, $6,500,000 for Kansas
City, Sl.600,000 for San Francisco
S2,500,000 for New Orleans and S3,-
100000 for the Union Stock Yards
Auditorium in Chicago.
Whether the proposed auditorium
for Washington should combine a
stadium is one of the matters Ickes
is expected to discuss tomorrow. One
Of the numerous plans submitted to him
since Inauguration day involves a COM
bination stadium and auditorium with
an electrically controlled roof that
could be rolled back in good weather.