Evening star., 1949-08-21
Hearings on Bill
For City Stadium
Possible Soon
U. S. Agencies Favor
900 Seat Arena,
Harris Announces
By Harold B. Rogers

BY Harold B. Rogers
Legislation for a 60,000-seat
open-air memorial stadium here
will come up for congressional,
hearings this session or early next
year, Representative Harris. Dem
ocrat. of Arkansas announced last
night.
Mr.. Harris, author Of the bill
said he has received official reports
from the Budget Bureau and Other
Government agencies which favor
the proposal in principle. Several
questions - including finances -
were raised, however. he said. and
these will be taken up during the
hearings.
Il feel sure we can work out q
bill to accomplish the Original
purpose" Mr.. Harris said.
The hearings will be held by the
House District Judiciary Subcom-
mittee, of which Mr.. Harris Is
chairman. If Congress should con-
tinue in session now for several
weeks, it may be possible to begin
the hearings before adjournment
But it is more likely, Mr.. Harris
pointed out, that they will go over
until January.
Nine Man Board Proposed.
The bill would set up a commits
sion of nine members appointed
by the President, with authority
to issue bonds to finance the pro-
ject. The commission would be
given authority to pick the site,
contract for the design, construct
and operate the stadium.
While no site is named in the
bill, Mr.. Harris said he favors the
big recreation area at the foot of
East Capitol street. This place
long has been designated by the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission for a stadium. 1t
is the same general area picked
for buildings of the Sesquicenten-
nial Freedom Fair. But a $3,000,-
900 appropriation for the celebra-
ton was killed Friday by the
House.
Mr.. Harris estimates the cost of
the stadium at about $2.500,000.
Under his bill. the author ex-
planned. the project should be self
liquidating and should be no ex-
pense to either the Federal or
District Governments.
The Budget Bureau voiced its
agreement with the general OBJ
jectives' of the proposal. In a
report signed by Director Frank
Pace. jr., the bureau said 1t had
obtained the opinions of "numer-
Gus interested agencies. It's gen.
eral view is that first consideration
should be given to rcactivation OF
the Memorial Stadium Commission
set up by an act of December 20,
1914.
Commission Long Inactive.
This commission has been mac
tive for years, Mr.. Pace pointed
out, but it is still constituted by
law, and new members could be
appointed. The 1914 law provided
for a commission to recommend
to Congress plans for a memorial
to veterans of World Wars I and
II. The Harris bill does not say
who or what the stadium would
memorialize.
In case the District Committee
should prefer not to reactivate
the old commission, Mr.. Pace
called attention to reports on the
Harris bill filed by the Recon-
struction Finance Corp. the Army
Department and the Controller
General. Their conclusions, he
said. "are concurred in by this Of
fice.' The Controller Generals
report had not reached the House
District Committee by last night.
The RFC took issue with the
bills proviso that 100000 of the
bonds issued by the memorial
commission should be bought by
the RFC to obtain funds to meet
architectural, engineering, legal
and other expenses incidental to
the construction of the stadium. F."
1T seems to us" wrote Harley
Hise. RFC chairman, that it
would be preferable to provide for
direct financing of the preliminary
expenses of constructing the stad-
ium-either by authorizing the
Commission to borrow the neces-
sary funds from the Treasury or
by a direct grant of funds similar
to the grants made by the Fed
eral Works Agency to thousands
Of municipalities to finance the
planning of public projects-in-
stead of providing for indirect
financing through the RFC."
Amendment Urged.
Furthermore the bill should be
amended, Mr.. Hise said, to pro-
vide that in case the RFC is re-
quired to buy bonds, the securities
should be subject to conditions
agreed to by both the memorial
commission and the corporation.
The RFC also made several other
recommendations designed to i'm
prove the attractiveness of the
bonds to private investors.
Speaking for the entire National
Military Establishment. Secretary
of the Army. Gordon Gray OBJ
jected to provision in the bill
requiring both the Army and Navy
football teams to play at least one
game every year in the stadium.
Reasons for objection were set
forth in report from the super
intendent of the Military Acade-
my. speaking for both academies.
THE present policy is to at
tempt to play games in as many
sections of the United States as
is possible, he said. bearing in
mind the fact that academic
duties must be interfered with as
little as possible. The require
inent that a game be played in
-. xyoo,. rx,o.,1L Gov;