Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-29
STADIUM
SoIvency Linked
To Sports Success

SUCCESS
that no stadium in the whole
United States is self-support-
ing. The whole thing was done
with approval by the House
and Senate District Commit
tees"
A prominent member Of the
Board of Trade had this COM
ment: How it got up to $40
million I'll never know. But
those behind the stadium, in
GLIDING Congressman, must
have known it couldn't pay for
itself"
Arthur Dutch Bergman,
Armory Board manager who
has worked on the project since
1914, said it was common talk"
among District civic leaders
and Congressman that the sta
dunn would not make enough
money.
The Best Was Costly
When Congress took the
ceiling out of the stadium con-
struction bill the cost was put
in the hands of the Armory
Board. We went into it believ-
ing that because Washington is
the Nations Capital, it should
have the best. The best added
to the COST" he said.
But no one knew exactly
what the cost would be, no one
could pin it down." he added.
Look at any other construction
projects around town."
In the last analysis, said Mr..
Bergman, whose job is to book
events in the stadium, the fate
Of the arena rests on the sue
cess of baseball and football.
Though even here, he noted
sadly, winning teams don't al
ways mean financial success.
AS an example, he said, Balti-
more Municipal Stadium lost
$183,526 in 1859, when the Colts
were football champions and
the Orioles finished in the first
division.
James F. Reilly, who served
on the Armory Board from
April to October, 1861, said, ut
was very obvious to me that the
stadium was costing a lot of
money, that it was going to be
very beautiful and that it was
going to be difficult to make it
self-sustaining.
1T is a beautiful monument
to the people responsible for its
conception and construction,
he concluded.
Bad GuesSwOrk
Others behind the stadium
project say there was some bad
guesswork involved, in both its
cost and its anticipated reve-
nue..
Former Commissioner Nc
Laughlin-who once told a Sen
ate subcommittee that chances
are very good" that District
taxpayers would never be called
on to help foot the bill-says
now. 1.-THE stadium cost more
than we thought it would.
II think all Of us believed
there would be some lean years.
We believed that even If the
District had to pay off the
bonds the stadium's fiscal bene-
fits to the city would offset the
deficit.
"And we didn't figure that,
after the city had put up a
beautiful and functional sta
dunn, the two teams wouldn't
pick up enough good players
to stay out Of the basement"
I'VE may have made mis-
takes" Mr.. Mclaughlin, now
an attorney in private practice,
added. But I think the Ma
tons Capital needs this kind
Of stadium"
I'VE have a stadium of which
we are really proud. 1t has
taken a great deal Of work and
effort to put 1t up. I don't think
there should be too much
squabbling about it,"
Views Are Similar
His viewpoint, that the sta
dunn is a reality and that de-
spite its financial liability it is
a good thing for Washington, is
shared by others who worked
for it.
Edward r. Carr, member of
the Board of Trade and once
a member Of an advisory COM
mittee to the stadium, said:
"It's a higher price tag than
planned on but it's still good
thing. The stadium is the finest
in the country. I think the
revenue is going to increase as
time goes on. The stadium is
justified from a civic stand
point. If we had not gotten it,
we would have lost major
league standing"
Morris Cafritz, a prominent
Washington builder who said
he was partially responsible
for selling the idea of the sta
dunn" commented: II don't
think anybody, anybody, knew
what the stadium was going to
cost. We just got into it. No
matter what it cost, it is going
to help business"
The present chairman of the
Armory Board, Francis Kane,
blames the $40 million bill on
"time, procrastination. While
people were talking about it,
the price was going up"
We're in a tight spot" Mr..
Kane admitted. "As a man in
business, I realize it is impos-
sible to have the stadium work
out on a business basis. We
have to face UP to it and face
facts"
Facing facts, according to the
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