Evening star., 1943-08-17
Recreation Unit
To Quiz IeoffIer
On Golf Leases
Root Warns Thut
Operation BY Board
Muy Bring Deficits

"A special committee OF the Dis.
trict Recreation Board will inter.
view s. @. Leofier. golf course op-
orator, within the next few days AZ
part Of Its study Of the possibility OF
taking over operation OF five public
courses now leased to him. y
The committee plans to ask Mr.,
Loeflier II he would be willing too
sell his equipment to the RecreatienNi
Board In the event 1t took over =
operation from him. II
The committee met yesterday to-
hear from National Capital Parks
Cfacials the history Of public golf
course control In the District and
difficulties entailed. Park officials !
through whom the Interior Departsr
ment has been leasing the contracts,
said the rising cost Of labor and ma
terials has steadily cut profit made
by Mr.. Leofner. -
Operation by the recreation def
partment might result In highef
charges to the public but mo better
golf" Irving Root, parks superin-
tendent, declared Instead OF profit
resulting to the District government
by concession to private operator,
ne said. the Government might have
to allocate public money to relieve
. dencit In course operation.
Revenue From Contracts. =
While Mr.. Leofiier's profits have ,
steadily declined, park oficials ex.,
planned, the taxpayers Of the Dis.
trict have never lost cent" In.
stead, the District has obtained from
Mr.. Leofler about $l4O, 900 cash DUR.
ing the last 10 years and about
100000 worth of improvements to
the golf courses. He has operated
the courses on succession Of i've!
year contracts since 1921. -
Park ofncials warned the board
that lawn mowers. tractors, golf
clubs and balls are hard to get. The
board must consider all operations
details carefully before taking ovece
operation, 1t was emphasized. sfr
Contrary to belief that huge
sums are made by Mr.. Leofiier, Mr.
Root explained, actual records show
that he made only $1,000 In 1880, for
example, and has since made stead.
lily less, losing $4,000 last year. oi
About 100000 rounds of golf are
played on the 60-odd holes, Mr.
Root said, at cost of from Is cents
a round to so cents round on Sum
day. To offset these sums, Mr..
Leoffler has to maintain the courses
through good business periods and
lean, Mr.. Root seaid. The courses
are located at Langston, East Po-.
tomac Park, Anacostia and Rock
Greek Park. West Potomac Park
has been closed because of flood
damage, War. Department occupa.
ton and gas rationing.
To Consider Pools Later.
The Welfare and Recreational As
sociation also holds, public amuse-
ment contracts for pools. boat and
bicycle concessions. The association
had indicated 1t would be glad to
turn these over to the recreation
board. but the committee has not yet
started to consider this. Harry 8.
Wender, board chairman. suggested
yesterday that the association might
oe invited to participate even fur.
ther in the public amusement man.'
| agement Of Washington by sharing
responsibility with the recreation
department for food concessions II
golf courses were taken over by the
board.
Il favor centralized control OF all
public recreation facilities Mr.,
Wender declared yesterday. James
E. Schwab, vice chairman of the
board, said he favored at least more.
strict control of contracts by the
recreation board. A. E. Demaray, as
sociate director of National Park
Service, will be asked by the conf
mittee for his opinion on the pos
sibility Of the departments permit
ting the recreation board to run the
golf courses. The Interior Depart
ment must approve of all arrange
ments made, it was explained.
The committee will report on It's
Investigations to the recreation
board next Tuesday.