Evening star., 1939-02-13

land owned by the District Govern
ment on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween Fourth and Sixth streets"
might be made available, while T. c.
Jeffers, landscape architect of the
commission, warned that If q larger
auditorium. patterned after that at
Atlantic City, where football games
and other events might also be held,
be desired, the only site now in pub
lie ownership is at the end of East
Capitol street."
Bill Is Signed.
Senator Robinson's bill passed the
Senate on January 30, 1887, and,
after the House of Representatives
had agreed, was signed by President
Roosevelt on February %. Secretary
1ckes was made chairman of the
commission, the other members
being Senator Connally, Senator
Warren r. Austin of Vermont, Rep
resentative Fritz G. Lanham of
Texas and Representative j. Will
Taylor Of Tennessee. The commits
sion organized on April 80, with Mr..
Finnan as secretary. and appointed
an Advisory Committee with dele
gates from the National Park Serv-
ice, the Procurement Division of the
Treasury Department, the Fine
Arts Commission, the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commits
sion and the District of Columbia
municipal government.
This Advisory Committee, meeting
for the first time on May II, 1887,
began its work under several differ
ent mandates. For example, Senator
Connally had insisted that 1t was to
avoid ANY recommendations which
would add further to the congested
traffic situation here" In line with
this stipulation, it was announced
that problems of traffic control,
street widening, whether the audi
torium shall be confined to just that
or include also the so-called multi
pie use embracing sports and other
activities-will be taken up" There
appeared to be general agreement
that the foremost consideration is
the location" On this point, as we'll
as with regard to the design and
uses" of the auditorium, interested
persons and organizations were in
vited to submit suggestions.
Wanted Open Vista.
The Fine Arts Commission
promptly registered its belief that
the site bounded by John Marshall
place, Constitution avenue, Third
street and c street should be Sc
lected, stipulating that John Mar
shall place north of Pennsylvania
avenue should be preserved as an
open vista and not blocked by a
new municipal building" This f1nd-
ing was chronicled in The Star on
May 81, 1887. Four days later, the
Advisory Committee met and 'lis-
tened to pleas that provision be made
in the projected auditorium for ice
skating, ice hockey, carnivals, con-
certs, theatrical productions, opera,
banquets and even cafeterias."
Among the witnesses and petit
TONERS were E. Christopher Meyer,
chairman Of the Washington Com
mittee of Ice Skaters; Russell Arun-
del, Prev Savoy and L. M. Church,
all of whom urged adequate pro-
vision" for games on ice. Also
Alfred Kastner, architect. who
argued for "a flexible type of build
ing suitable for many uses"
Mr.. Finnan, meanwhile, was pre-
pairing a. survey of auditoriums in
other cities, building and operating
costs, etc. On July II, 1897, it was
disclosed that his group favored the
Constitution avenue site IF a down.
town auditorium, seating around
$4,000 is desired" and the East Cap
itol street site "if larger develop
ment is required, embodying various
activities in sports center, as well
as q larger auditorium"
The Auditorium, Commission's
report tDiu be discussed in to-
n1orroD's article in this series.