Evening star., 1943-08-23
Trade Board
Takes Charge
0f|nformation
To Operate Center
Once Maintained
By owl Stuff

The Greater National Capital
Committee of the Washington
Board of Trade has taken over the
local information service formerly
operated by the Office of War In
formation at Fourteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue NV, Com
mittee Chairman Edgar Morris an
nounced today.
Owl, with a skeleton staff, is
continuing to provide information
dealing with Federal Government
personnel and policies. These func-
tlonS will not be taken over by the
Board of Trade Committee. it was
pointed out.
Mr.. Morris said the committee.
supported by the business interests
OF the city, recognizes the need to
maintain a single information CEN
ter for the benefit of servicemen,
war workers, visitors and residents
of the District.
Mrs. Clara Wright Smith will di-
rect this phase of the committees
activities. She has been perform
ing this function for the owl, but
because OF a reduction in Owl funds
and staff 1t became necessary for a
private group to sponsor this under
taking. Mrs. Smith and her staff
will continue their operations in
space provided in the main lobby of
the information center. Clerks will
be in attendance from $50 am, to
$50 pm. daily and from 10 am. to
6 pm. on Sundays.
To Consolidate Information.
There have been and there are
many sources of general informa-
tion about events. affairs, places of
interest and recreational facilities
IN Washington, but none seems to
be able to give complete informa-
ton on all subjects" Mr.. Morris
said. 1T is our desire to have Mrs.
Smith so set up this service that it
will be the principal point for Sc
curing information in the District" !"
Mr.. Morris added that the ...busi-
ness interests of this city owe a
duty to those who come here as
strangers and need an agency
through which they may become
better orientated into our COM
munity. We feel that by perform
ing this function. many of the mis-
taken impressions about the friend
illness or the lack of friendliness
of our citize rs and our institutions
can be eliminated. We want the
whole world to know We are in
terested in the welfare noe only of
our older residents, but that of the
newcomers as well"
Types of inquiries received at the
information center, Mr. Morris
pointed out, deal with recreation,
marriage laws and requirements,
rationing, zoning, rent control, draft
boards, public buildings, churches
and services, health, nursery
schools. transportation, social prob
lens, map reading and routing and
information on arts, music and edu-
cation.
Distributes Free Tickets.
This service also distributes about
1000 free tickets each month for
entertainment Oh SerVlCemen ana
Government workers
The committees activities also in
clude the maintenance of q hotel
transient clearing house through
which business visitors, servicemen
and others are able to secure
transient accommodations in WASH
ington hotels and tourist homes; the
issuance of monthly calendar of
events and the answering of thou
sands of inquiries yearly about
Washington from people through
out the Nation. The clearing house
operation, Mr.. Morris stated ac-
tually obtained housing for more
than 81 900 persons during the past
II months.
The committee at a meeting to-
day presented an engraved testi-
monial to Mack L. Langford, chair
man of the 1894 campaign for
funds, just completed by the Cam
paign Committee. The scroll recited
that the noteworthy success of the
campaign may be directly attributed
to his efficient planning and able di-
rection."