CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - HOUSE

mainder of this week it shall be in order

to consider conference reports at any

time they are reported notwithstanding

the provisions of clause 2, rule XXVIII.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman

from Illinois?

There was no objection.

H. R. 3087, A BILL AUTHORIZING CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS TO TWO

BUSINESS PROPERTIES IN THE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-VETO

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC.

NO. 216)

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following veto message from the President of the United

States:

To the House of Representatives:

I return herewith, without my approval, H. R. 3087, to authorize the

Board of Commissioners of the District

of Columbia to permit certain improvements to two business properties situated

in the District of Columbia.

The two properties involved, owned by

private corporations, are occupied as

gasoline filling stations, in a residentialuse district. Under the zoning regulations promulgated pursuant to the act

of March 1, 1920, as amended by the act

of June 20, 1938, the two stations may

be continued as such in the category of

nonconforming uses because they were

in existence prior to the enactment of the

zoning statute. However, except under

certain conditions, these nonconforming

uses cannot be physically extended, enlarged, or improved. At present there

are approximately 5,000 nonconforming

uses in the District of Columbia. We

should not single out two of these and

provide benefits for them which cannot

be enjoyed by any of the other many

nonconforming uses.

In addition to its discriminatory nature, the bill would adversely alter the

basis of comprehensive planning in the

District. The city of Washington was

planned with great care. However, before control of land use under a comprehensive plan was adopted in 1920,

many uses grew up that did not harmonize with any orderly plan for the

Nation's Capital. Although the Zoning

Act permitted continuation of these non- conforming uses under uniform regulations, it was plainly intended to prevent

changes which might perpetuate or magnify the adverse effects of these uses.

The bill would subvert both the purposes of the Zoning Act and the objectives of the comprehensive plan for the

Nation's Capital by sanctioning the practice of "spot zoning." It constitutes an

invitation for further exceptions which,

if enacted into law, would frustrate comprehensive planning and make impossible the orderly, development of the

Federal City.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER.

THE WHITE HOUSE, July 29, 1953.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The objections of the President will be spread

at large upon the Journal.

Mr. SIMPSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move that the bill and message be

referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia and ordered to be

printed.

The motion was agreed to.

RESOLUTION TENDERING THANKS

OF CONGRESS TO GEN. PEYTON C.

MARCH, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF

OF THE ARMY

Mr. SHORT. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent for the immediate

consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 43 tendering the thanks of Congress to Gen. Peyton C. March, former

Chief of Staff of the Army..

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman

from Missouri?

There was no objection.

The Clerk read the Senate concurrent

resolution, as follows:

Whereas Gen. Peyton C. March retired

from the position of Chief of Staff of the

United States Army on June 30, 1921, after a distinguished career; and

Whereas, despite his retired status, his interest in national defense has continued to

be profound and continuing; and

Whereas he has displayed this Interest by

may constructive suggestions which have

been of great value to the War Department

and the Department of the Army: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of

Representatives concurring), That the

thanks of Congress are hereby tendered to

Gen. Peyton C. March for his selfless and patriotic interest in the United States Army

since his retirement, manifested so often by

his helpful counsel to the War Department

and the Department of the Army, thereby

contributing greatly to the national security

of the United States.

The Senate concurrent resolution was

agreed to, and a motion to reconsider

was laid on the table.

The proceedings whereby House Concurrent Resolution 170 was passed were

vacated and that resolution was laid on

the table.

PROVIDING ADMISSION TO ST.

ELIZABETHS HOSPITAL OF CERTAIN CITIZENS OF THE UNITED

STATES ADJUDGED INSANE IN

FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent for the immediate

consideration of the bill (H. R. 304) to

provide for the admission to St. Elizabeths Hospital, in the District of Columbia, of certain citizens of the United

States adjudged insane in foreign' countries.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman

from Pennsylvania?

There was no objection.

The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

Be it enacted, etc., That, upon the application of the Secretary of State, the Federal

Security Administrator is authorized to admit to St. Elizabeths Hospital, in the District

of Columbia. for treatment, any citizen of

the United States legally adjudged insane

in a foreign country, or certified by appropriate authorities (as determined by the

Administrator to be in need of care and

treatment in a mental hospital, whose legal

residence in a State, Territory, or the District

of Columbia, it has been impossible to establish. Upon the ascertainment of the legal

residence of any person so transferred to the

hospital, the superintendent of the hospital

shall thereupon transfer such person to such

place of residence, and the expenses attendant thereon shall be paid from the appropriation for the support of the hospital.

SEC. 2. Upon the request of any person

admitted to St. Elizabeths Hospital under

the first section of this act, or upon the

request of any relative or friend, he shall

have a hearing in the district court of the

United States for the District of Columbia

upon his mental condition and the right of

the superintendent of St. Elizabeths Hospital

to hold him for treatment.

SEC. 3. The act entitled "An act to provide

for the admission to St. Elizabeths Hospital

of insane persons belonging to the Foreign

Service of the United States", approved October 29, 1951, is hereby repealed.

With the following committee amendments:

On page 1, line 4, strike out "Federal

Security Administrator" and insert "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare."

Page 1, line 9, strike out "Administrator"

and insert "Secretary of Health, Education,

and Welfare."

Page 2, line 19, strike out "1951" and insert

"1941."

The committee amendments were

agreed to.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed

and read a third time, was read the third

time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

WESTERN INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. Speaker, I

ask unanimous consent for the immediate consideration of the bill (S. 1515)

granting the consent of Congress to certain Western States and the Territories

of Alaska and Hawaii to enter into a

compact relating to higher education in

the Western States and establishing the

WesternInterstate Commission for Higher Education.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?

There was no objection.

The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

Be it enacted, etc., That the consent of

Congress is hereby given to any five or more of the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming and

the Territories of Alaska and Hawaii to enter

into the following compact and agreement

relating to higher education and creating

the Western Interstate Commission for

Higher Education.

The compact reads as follows:

ARTICLE I

Whereas the future of this Nation and of

the Western States is dependent upon the

quality of the education of its youth; and

Whereas many of the Western States individually do not have sufficient numbers of

potential students to warrant the establishment and maintenance within their borders

of adequate facilities in all of the essential

fields of technical, professional, and graduate

training, nor do all the States have the financial ability to furnish within their borders

institutions capable of providing acceptable

standards of training in all of the fields mentioned above; and

Whereas it is believed that the Western

States, or groups of such States within the

region, cooperatively can provide acceptable

and efficient educational facilities to meet

1953 10423