Evening star., 1929-12-18
HOUSE COMMITTEE
FAVORS FREE TEXT
BOOKS FOR DISTRICT
Chairman Instructed to Con-
fer With House Leader
ship on Subject.
S243,OOO is ESTIMATED
COST FOR NEW SUPPLIES
Zihlman. Under Indictment, Pre-
sides-Asks Groups Help for
Capital Legislation.

The free text book bill passed by the
Senate Monday was favorably reported
by the House District committee at It's
first meeting today and incorporated
in this motion was instructions Tor the
Chairman to confer with the House
leadership to get action in the House
If possible before the Christmas recess
Representative Zihlman OF Maryland,
who is under indictment by the Federal
grand jury, presided at the meetng,
and at its close said that necessarily
a v1eat deal of the work of this COM
mittee will fall on Representative NC
Leod, the ranking Republican memoer,
and upon other members OF the COM
Y1ittee in nv absence" He asked the
members of the committee Ito CO.
operate for a constructive program OF
legislation for the beneflt OF the Ma
tional Capital"
THE free text book bill was reported
on motion of Representative Lampert
of Wisconsin, seconded by Representa-
tive Reid of Illinois. 1t provides Tor
supplying free of charge the use OF all
text books and all other necessary eou-
cational books and supplies to pupils OF
the ninth grade of the junior high
schools and all pupils in the senior high
schools.
Parents Now Buy Books.
At the present time parents of these
pupils are required to purchase the text
books and supplies. 1t broadens the
free text book bill passed some years
ago for pupils in the lower grades.
It is estimated that the first cost
for supplying these additional books
and supplies next year would be S24S,
600, of which amount approximately
$4,000 would be expended for supplies.
Thereafter, however it is expected that
It will cost only approximately $500 600
to maintain the system under ttls
legislation.
The motion to call upon the House
leadership for immediate action upon
this measure was MADE oy represents
tive Hall, Republican, OF Indiana.
Chairman zihlman designated Repre-
sentative Mcleod to prepare the report
on the bill and to take charge OF
handling it in the House, --''H' De.
Chairman Zihlman appointed as a
subcommittee to prepare slate OF SUD-
committee assignments: Representatives
Mcleod, Michigan Lampert, Wlscon-
sin: Palmer. Missouri; Whitehead, Viz
ginia, and Hall, Mississippi.
Urges Legislative Map.
Representative Bowman Of West Viz
sinia urged that the committee in this
Congress should map out constructive
legislative program of measures OF ma
ior importance on which it would con-
centrate. He suggested that confer
ences be held with the Senate District
committee so that tH-ere might be
united action on the measures of prime
Importance for the District, pointing
out that in the past many of the more
important measures had been SIDE
kyoc for Y1nin0r YnHQ QSlIreS
Representative Reid of Illinois dis
cussed the value of cooperation not
only with the Senate committee, but
with the subcommittee of the appro-
priations committee in charge of the
District appropriation bill. Bowman
insisted that it is the duty of the House
legislative committee to put through
its program of important legislation 1r-
respective of whether the appropriations
committee is ready to appropriate funds
for carrying out the provisions OF the
legislative measure. Reid called atten-
ton to the fact that in the past, for
example, regarding the need of addi-
t1onai teachers, the testimony presented
to the House legislative committee was
different from that presented to the
subcommittee on appropriations.
Saving Cited by Bowman.
Bowman also stressed that much
time and expense could be saved
through cooperation with the Senate
in avoiding duplication of hearings on
the District measures.
Reid asked about the street railway
merger legislation and was told by
Zihiman that Mason NJ. Patrick OF, the
Utilities Commission had submitted a
proposal for consideration OF Congress
on which, if Congress acted favorably
1t was hoped the street railway COM
panies would agree.
Hall brought up the need for a muni-
cipal airport as showing the possibili-
ties of expediting desirable legislation
by getting cooperation and joint hear
1nps with the Senate committees.