Evening star., 1948-01-15
on Two
|Arrl1ory Control
Bills Scheduled
O'Horo Sets Meeting
Tuesday for Airing
Views Of Cox, D. c.

Conflicting plans for the contro
of the District Armory and thu
use of its rental receipts are Il
be aired on Capitol Hill next week
Chairman O'Hara of the Ju.
dietary Subcommittee of the Hous,
District Committee has scheduled
hearings for 10 am. Tuesday OF
two competing bills, both of which
he introduced by request.
A third bill, suggesting a "com-
promise solution" drafted by JOSEPH
C. McGarraghy, past president o1
the Board of Trade, also may be
offered and referred to the O'Hars
unit.
At present, receipts from rental
of the big hall for sports events
and other nonmilitary affairs are
being held in an undistributed fund
under truce arranged by District
Committee leaders in Congress be-
tween the District government and
the National Guard.
Cox Bill introduced.
At the request of Brig. Gen. AL
Bert L. Cox, commanding the
Guard, Mr.. O'Hara yesterday intro
duced bill which would give the
Guard a partial claim, at least, to
Armory rentals.
This bill would create an Armory
commission consisting of the head
of the Guard, the president of the
Board of Commissioners, and the
presidents of the Board of Trade
and .the, Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Associations.
The proposed commission would
have general authority over the
Armory and would give first pref
erence to Guard activities. Renta.
receipts in excess of amounts re-
quired for maintenance and opera
ton of the Arnory, the bill pro-
vides could be utilized for the Ma
tional Guard or deposited in the
Treasury to the credit of the Dis
trict."
Cox Renews Fight.
Last July, at the request of the
Commissioners, Mr.. OHara offered
his first Armory bill, which would
give the Commissioners control over
Guard uses of the Armory
Also it would empower the city
heads to name a manager for
Armory rental use and would credit
net rentals to the District instead
of the Guard.
Gen. Cox has renewed his fight
against, the Commissioners plan
In a letter to James R. Kirkland
counsel to the Senate District Com
mittee, released yesterday, he pro-
tested that the city heads had
known this draft was Objectionable
to the Guard. Under its terms, he
added, the Guard would be divested
of control. The Guard, he argued
would be left VIRTUALLY as tenants
by .sufferance in an Armory con-
structed for its USE"
Compromise Drafted.
+. Mr.. McGarraghy drafted his
compromise" plan when it seemed
the two official factions could never
agree. His suggested measure woulc
turn over to the District any net
rentals after payment or non.
Guard costs but would specify sew.
eral Guard prerogatives.
Control over the Armory prop.
critics, under his plan, would be
placed with a commission including
Guard and Commissioner spokesmer
but also adding three District resi-.
dents to be named by the Com
missioners.
The McGarrahy plan would state
a policy that the Armory be main
tanned and operated primarily fol
militia purposes and secondarily tt
provide suitable facilities for ath-
letic and other public events. With
reference to it's financial plan it as
serts the Armory should be operated
as nearly as practicable on self
supporting basis.