Evening star., 1949-07-03
EndofLongFeud
On Recreation
May Be Near
Problems Will Remuin
Despite Krue Meeting
With District Board
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

The District Recreation Board S
meeting Tuesday to consider In
terror Secretary Krug's proposal
to turn over all Interior recrea-
tion facilities to the board will
be a major step in settling a
seven-year feud between the two
agencies.
Harry S. Wender, chairman of
the Recreation Board, called the
meeting of the boards bylaws
committee at am. Tuesday after
Mr.. Krug offered to give the
board long-sought control over
the Interior Departments SWIM
ming pools, tennis courts, golf
courses and other facilities here.
Once the Interior Department
and the Recreation Board reach
an agreement, however, there still
remain a number of problems:
l. S. G. Leoffler, who has op-
Grated the five public golf courses
here for the past 81 years as con-
cessionaire for the Interior De-
partment, still is operating them,
although his contract has expired.
GSI Contract in Doubt.
Government Services, Inc. has
a contract with the Interior De-
partment to manage its swimming
pools, tennis courts. boating and
bicycling concessions which does
not expire until 1851. 1t is not
known if this contract can be
set aside prior to its expiration
date in order to transfer authority
to the Recreation Board.
3. The Recreation Board will
need money for expanding its
jurisdiction.
R. r. Ayers, general manager
of GSI, said the present contract
with the Interior Department was
a five-year pact with an option
for an additional five years. and
it does not expire until 1851.
He said he knew nothing about
the situation. didn't know offhand
if the Interior Department could
terminate the contract and as
sumed that the GSB Board of
Directors would have to make
some decisions when the Interior
Department comes to them with
whatever it proposes to do.
More Money Will Be Needed.
In any case, the Recreation
Board will have to ask for more
money to take over the facilities.
Already under study is the ques-
ton of how much would be re-
quired to run the golf courses.
Mr. Krug made his offer at a
conference Friday. Although he
did not reveal details of the pro-
posal, it was understood the
Recreation Board would have to
eliminate from its bylaws Ian
guage setting up a segregated
play system.
In its place, the board would
have to adopt language similar
to the policy statement" it ap-
proved several weeks ago. promis-
ing elimination of segregation.
Previously, the Interior Depart
ment had insisted that the Rec
reation Board would have to
abolish segregation in all its &C
tivities before it could take over
operation of Interior Department
facilities.
Contract Expired in December.
Mr. KrugS offer to the Recrea-
ton Board came soon after he
had ordered the Anacostia SWIM
ming pool-controlled by the In
terror Department and operated
by Government Services. Inc
closed because of disturbances
there over Negroes using the pool.
He said the pool will remain
closed until the agreement is
worked out with the board
Mr.. Leoff1ers last contract to
operate the golf courses expired
in December. Since then he has
been running without a contract
but under the terms of the
much criticized old contract.
After a prolonged hearing by
a House Public Lands subcommit-
tee, headed by Representative
Redden, Democrat, of North
Carolina. the Interior Department
promised not to renew Mr.. Leof-
fler's contract until the bill under
consideration could be handled.
This bill would prevent Interior
from giving the contract to Mr..
Leoffler again. A second bill to
force Interior to allow the Recrea-
ton Board to manage the courses
also was introduced. Both still are
in the Public Lands Committee.
At the hearings, Mr.. Leoffier
claimed the department owed him
q renewal of the contract because
of promises made to him, if he
would put up money to build the
Fort Dupont golf course club
house. Interior Department audi
tors said about $31,135 in ex-
penditures made by Mr.. Leoff1er
over the past five years should be
disallowed. A General Accounting
Office auditor thought Mr.. Leoffler
owed the Government about $119,-
Sis in fees which had been waived
and in disallowed items.
Even now, Interior Depart
ment spokesmeh say that Mr..
Leof1er's old contract calls for
him to be bought out by whoever
takes over. Just what that will
cost no one has estimated so far.
f1llpp