Evening star., 1949-06-09
Bill Filed 10 Put
Golf Links Under
Recreation Unit
House Group Moves
To Halt Renewal of
LeoffIer Contract
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

A Dill TO require the Interior
Department TO turn over the op-
Grafton of the public golf courses
here to the District Recreation
Board has been introduced by
Representative Rivers, Democrat
of South Carolina.
MFR. Rivers introduced the bill
yesterday afternoon soon after the
House Public Lands Subcommittee
reported favorably on another bill
following prolonged hearings
This bill would prevent the In
terror Department from renewing
its contract with s. G. Leoff1er to
operate the links. Mr.. Rivers also
was author of the bill approved
by the subcommittee.
Representative Redden, Demo-
crat. of North Carolina, chairman
of the subcommittee. said he felt
the original bill could be inter-
preted so that the Interior De-
partment could either operate the
courses directly or turn them over
to another Government agency
the District Recreation Board.
Held Concession 20 Years.
In any case, the approved bill.
II 1t becomes law, would prevent
Mr.. Leoff1er from operating the
courses. The chunky golf course
operator has had the concession
for the public links for the past
20 years.
Harry s. Wender, chairman of
the District Recreation Board.
said:
There are no problems OF real
difficulty in taking over the opera
ton Of the golf courses If they are
made available to u.s."
He explained that the Recrea-
ton Board was ready to step in
at any time and that only the
matter of money-which he felt
could be resolved-was trouble
some. The Recreation Board al
ready has In operation a trust
fund" H...
MIR. Wender said it would take
only an amendment to the pending
appropriation bill to authorize
enough money to expand this fund
to cover the golf course operation.
Just how much it would take is
not known at present, Milo Chris
tiansen, recreation superintend-
ent, said. A study of how much
money would be needed is neces-
sary, he stated.
May Hit Interior.
It was pointed ont that the
hearings, which were concluded
yesterday, may have 10 much
broader effect on the Interior De-
partment, due to disclosure that
more than 700 annual reports OF
more than $50 conceSsionaires
operating in national parks over
the country have not been audited.
These $50 concessionaires do an
estimated annual business OF
$25, ,000, 900.
MIR. Redden said he intended
to recommend to the full Public
Lands Committee that a study
he made of the Interior Depart
ment's concession policy and the
situation which would allow un-
audited books.
James B. Robinson, assistant
chief of concessions for the In
terror Departments National
Park Service, frankly told the sub
committee while testifying that
"the Leof1er case is only one ex-
ample" The concessions branch
does not have the necessary audi
tors to do the job. he declared.
"The National Park Service has
not fulfilled its responsibility to
audit regularly the books OF the
Leoff1er company and the many
other concessionaires in the
national park system" he stated.
Bad Business Methods.
Mr.. Robinson said his audit OF
thel Leoffier company books re-
veated bad business methods and
items totaling $31.135 which he
said he should be disallowed as
expenditures. A General Account
ingl Office study of Mr.. Leoff1er's
books revealed the GAO thought
Mr. Leoff1er owed the Govern
ment $119,515 in waived fees
which had been applied against
construction and. in exceptions,
found in expenditures.
Mr.. Robinson told of the trou-
bles the Interior Department had
keeping up with its concession
aires because of lack of personnel.
He said it would take another 20
auditors to catch up on the work.
Al request for $135.000 to hire
i8 temporary auditors for that
purpose has been made to Con-
eress. he added.
The present staff consists of a
chief, an assistant chief. seven
technically trained employees and
four typists. This staff must han
Ole the work of supervising, man
agament and control over the
operations of $50 concessionaires,
he stated.
1T is even necessary for most
of the staff to draft correspond
ende and reports in longhand
rather than dictate due to lack
of stenographic assistance" he
declared.
M1rnaref andnn Escanes