Evening star., 1951-09-21
S3O0,OOOC|ain1
0nFreedomFair
Turned Down
GAO to Require Audit
OF Claimants Books
In Cases Still Pending

0oOOroVO dSoA1loG GllC NdIlOIld1
Capital Sesquicentennial Commits
sion have been denied by the Gen
eral Accounting Office, Melvin D.
Hildreth, commission executive
vice chairman, announced today
Other claims still are pending
All grew out of the proposal to
hold a Freedom Fair as part of
the National Capitals 150th birth
day celebration last year.
Paul F. Massmann, the commits
sion's general manager, said:
The General Accounting Office
action in complete and partial
denial of these claims has re-
leased from our administrative
reserve sufficient money to pre-
sent Faith of Our Fathers" in
1852, if the commission desires.
We will not have to call on the
frozen fund of $1,235, 900 to do
this"
Funds Set Aside.
The $1,235, 900 was set aside.
when Freedom Fair plans were
abandoned on June l, 1850.
The commission has not yet
decided whether to present Faith
OF Our Fathers" next year.
James B. C. Howe, the commits
sion's assistant general counsel,
said that although the GAGS
decisions require that an audit of
the claimants books be made by
the commission to determine their
out-of-pocket expenses, the COM
mission already has paid most of
that money. Mr.. Howe and the
commissions general counsel, Ger
hard Van Arkel. appeared in op-
position to the claims being
granted
The Byrne organization, 1903
Connecticut avenue NV, put in
a claim for $229,336, contending
this money was due for architec-
tural, management, engineering
and construction services on the
Freedom Fair project. The GAO
held that the commission must
make an audit of it's actual out
of-pocket costs and this is due to
start October Is.
Mr.. Howe said that the Byrne
organization has been paid 100000
exclusive of its $229,336 claim.
The GAO ruled that in the
case of Gardner Displays of New
York, Inc, which submitted
$90,500 claim, must also have it's
books examined by the commits
sion to determine out-of- pocket
costs.
Printing Claim Denied.
A claim for $4,000 for printing
$4,000 copies of a brochure on
Freedom Fair, submitted by the
printing firm of Williams g.
Heintz. Inc, 220 I street NE, was
denied outright by the GAO, the
commission said.
The GAO also denied outright
a claim of John William High
berger. 1925 Nineteenth street
NV, for $485 for work on de-
signs for the brochure.
The Baltimore Contractors, Inc,
of Baltimore, which claimed it had
a letter of intent" to construct
the Freedom Fair buildings here,
has signed release of any claim,
officials said. 1t never formally
submitted claim.
The Leasing Bureau, Inc, which
had Offices at 1400 Pennsylvania
avenue NV, has a claim in for
$37 900. But this has not yet been
presented to the GAO, as it first
must go to the Executive Commit
tee of the commission for review.
A claim by Leon Chatelain, jr.,
architect, 1927 K street NV, for
1000, also is being prepared for
submission to the Executive Com
mittee. Mr.. Chatelain contends
that he designed plans for the
Freedom Fair buildings.
Funds Declared Ample.
Mr.. Massmann explained that
the commission had ample funds
in its administrative reserve to
cover possible claims. He said
that most of this money has now
been released by the GAO action.
1t can be used for whatever the
commission decides to do with it
as working capital.
Future plans of the commits
sion. including the patriotic
pageant, will be announced after
an executive committee meeting
to be held soon. Mr.. Hildreth has
just returned from a Europeani
trip. Joseph C. McGarraghy
chairman of the executive COM
mittee, has been tied up in nego-
tiations which resulted in settle
ment of the threatened hotel
strike.
Mr.. Howe explained that the
Controller General, in. his de-
cisions, denies that any contract
existed between the claimants and
the Federal Government. But the
GAO did honor letters of intent"I
given the claimants looking to a
possible future contract, and de-
cided that they will be paid money
spent that can be proved on AMI
audit by the commission, Mr..
Howe declared.
Mr.. Howe said there is a limit
OF $4,000 On cases in this class
that can be filed in District Court.
II the claimants desire they cam
go to the Court of Claims or can
seek passage of a private bill in
Congress to give them the money.