The Washington herald., 1921-02-08
FIVE HOSPITALS
ASSURED in BILL
SOLONS PASSED
Lower Body Unanimous,
ly Approves Langley
Measure.
SENATE APPROVES
Adds s6,1O0,O00 to Sundry
Act; Archives Site
Receives o. K.

The House and Senate yesterday
acted simultaneously to provide
much needed hospitals for the dis
abled veterans Of the world war.
The House adopted unanimously the
Langley bill authorizing an appro-
priation Of s13.5OO,O0O for fve hos
pitfalls while the Senate agreed to an
amendment to the sundry civil bill
T. making a similar, appropriation and
added Ss,1OO,OoO more for the re-
modelling and improvement Of eX-
isting hospitals owned and con-
trolled by the government.
The action Of Congress calls for
the construction Of hospitals for
neuro-psychiatric and tubercular
patients in the Central Atlantic
coast; the Great Lakes regions; in
the Central Southern States; in the
Rocky Mountain States and in
Southern California. The House bill
prONlQSS luEIASE hOi0 ShAN u
Mackenzie in Wyoming and Fort
walla walla in Washington, in sd-
dltion to other property such as the
Secretary Of the Treasury can have
transferred from other departments,
be utilized for the purpose Of hos
pitalizing wounded men.
Make SectionaIism Charge.
g. Although there was no opposition
to the main purpose Of the bill,
Representatives wingo, OF Arkan-
sas, and Blanton, Of Texas, protest.
cd against the failure to provide in
the bill for the location of a hos
pital in the Western part of the
Southern States. Wingo alleged
that sectionalism had figured in the
choice of locations for the hos
pitals
The measure provides that the
sites for the hospitals be chosen by
appropriate boards. 1t also makes
provision for renting the hospital
to be built by the State Of New
York.
The committee amendment pro-
viding S4S6,0OO for an archives
building site between Twelfth and
Thirteenth and B and C streets
and $4,000 for the drawings, was
adopted with a proyiso offered by
Senator Underwood, of Alabama,
prohibiting the closing OF Ohio
avenue, which runs diagonally
across the site.
Senate Opposes Site.
Senator Robinson, of Arkansas,
and Senator King, of Utah, opposed
the site on the ground that the
government could save the expendi-
ture by using ground already owned
and that other sites more suitable
could probably be found, while
Senator Underwood took this view,
pointing to the fact that ground a
little to the west Of the proposed
site, between Fourteenth and FIJI
teenth streets, now belongs to the
government and is lying idle. This
ground, it was explained, was pur-
chased about eight years ago with
other property running through To
Pennsylvania avenue, and was TO
have been used for a new state
Department Senator Underwood
stated that the new State Depart
ment building probably would not
be erected for a number of years
and when the time came for rhai
building another site could be ac-
uuired. At this time there is a great
need for economy, he said, and the
government should not spend
nearly half a million dollars for a
site when it owns one that is just
suitable or better than the one
proposed to be purchased.
Senator Warren, chairman Of the
Appropriations Committee, explain
ed that the site which had been
agreed upon was selected after a
thorough investigation and the COM
mIttee believed it to be the best
proposition to be had. HS spoke
Of the urgent Importance of a new
archives building to safeguard the
government records from fire dam
age, and other Senators agreed that
the building should be started as
soon as possible. The appropria-
tion provides only for the purchase
of the site and the drawings.