Evening star., 1943-08-11
Recreation Board
Considers Operating
Pools, Golf Courses
Studies Plan to Drop
Present Arrangement Of
Concessionuire Leases

The District Recreation Board is
considering taking over operation of
six swimming pools, four golf courses
and bicycle and boat concessions
now leased to the Welfare and Rec
reational Association and to the
S. G. Loeffler Operating Co.
A special committee will investi-
gate the standards" and operating
procedure of these concessions, the
board decided yesterday. The COM
mittee will then report back to the
board on future possibilities for
operating recreational activities now
under lease"
Contract to operate the Langston.
Anacostia, Rock Creek and East
Potomac Golf Courses, now given
to Sevarin Loeffler. Inc, expires
January l. Contract to operate bike
uary l. Contract to operate bike
and boat concessions along the Po-
tomac River and the East Potomac.
Takoma. Anacostia. Mckinley,
Francis and Banneker Pools Is held
by the Welfare and Recreational
Association until l947
Contracts to Be Respected.
The District Recreation Board Is
obligated to respect the 1947 con-
tract unless the associat ton and the
Interior Department, with whom the
contract was made both agree to
nullify it. The board was set up
after the contracts were let by the
Government. The law creating the
board, however, gives them the au-
thority to take over and operate any
public facility as soon as an 'ex-
isting agreement expires.
The survey. led by Harry S.
Wender, chairman of the commit
tee. will study not only the opera
ton of the pools and golf courses,
but also need for improving them
Revenue from the pool, boat and
bike concessions goes into the Fed
eral Treasury. At present only reve-
nue. from the golf courses comes to
the District treasury.
Board Members Listed.
Other members of the Investigat-
ing Committee will be: Walter L.
Fowler. District budget officer; Irv-
ing S. Root, National Capital Parks
superintendent, and James Schwab,
vice chairman of the board
The District Recreation Depart
ment permits free swimming and
gives swimming instruction at all the
pools during morning hours. The
association takes over the pools in
the afternoon and charges admis-
sion. Fees are charged at the golf
| courses.
Recreation Superintendent Milo
/ F. Christensen said he had always
| favored public operation of public
! facilities.
| There should De no taint of COM
| merciallSm in the operation of pub
! lie facilities. he added
Inspection Tour Planned.
About 81 900 was transferred by
! the board yesterday to National
Capital Parks as payment for pro-
posed improvement of the North
east Recreation Center. A play
ground for small children will be
set up and grading done,
The board plans to tour all its
new projects provided by Lanham
Act funds to see the progress or
construction. The Commissioners.
National Park and Planning Com
mission members and represent
atives of National Capital Parks
will join the tour, to be held late
this month.
The request of the Washington
local of the Socialist Party to hold
a mixed conference on interracial
tolerance in a school building was
denied by the board. 1t informed
Miss Yetta Faber, organizer, that
dual school administration here
does not permit mixed meetings.
After the regular board meeting
David A. Brown, regional recrea-
tional director. presented one of a
series OF reports on the activities
of the subdivisions in the city. He
emphasized that recreational facil-
tiles for the colored are few and
seriously overcrowded.
Mrs Alice Hunter, secretary of the
board, added that open-air super
vised recreation is available to COL
ored only at the Banneker and
Howard Fairgrounds. She sug-
gested transfer of the New York
Avenue Playground from white TO
colored children.
Counting three TO a family, more
than half million people will read
this issue of The Star If Won have