Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-24
.S2,N)O,ODO VOTED
BY j. S. TO FINISH
MT. VERNON ROAD
Senate Orders Funds to Com
pIete Memorial Highway for
BicentenniaI Fete.
"DUNNING" PRACTICES
ATTACKED BY HOWELL
Fess Will Seek to Include Bill in
Appropriation Act Yet to
Be Passed.

After several hours Of debate the
Senate this afternoon passed the bill
authorizing an additional $2,70O, 600 to
complete the Memorial Boulevard from
the Arlington Memorial Bridge along
the Potomac to Mount Vernon.
Passage of the measure Is regarded
as urgent in order to have the highway
finished in time for the celebration OF
the bicentennial anniversary of the
birth of George Washington next year.
The bill gees to the House for action
and meanwhile it is probable steps will
be taken to include the necessary funds
in the second deficiency appropriation
BILL which comes up in the Senate to-
morrow or Thursday.
Howell Voices Objections.
The final vote came after Senator
Howell Republican, of Nebraska, had
reiterated his objections to what he
contends is the practice in many cases
of Government officials coming back
to Congress for additional approprea-
tons after a project has been author
lied to be constructed within a Speci-
fed sum.
The Nebraska Senator first en-
deavored to amend the bill to require
officials in charge of the highway to
satisfy the controller general that the
highway could be completed with this
additional money before 1t is spent
The Senate defeated this amendment.
Senator Howell then offered sub
stitute provision to the effect that "the
Bicentennial Commission shall direct
the full completion of said highway
project at a cost of not to exceed ST.
100000"
This figure is the total of the orig
inal authorization of $4,5o0,o00, made
several years ago, plus the $2,700,000
approved today.
Senator Tess of Ohio vice chairman
of the Bicentennial Commission, said
he did not have the slightest idea at
this time that further funds would be
required, but he stressed the importance
of completing the boulevard and had
expressed the fear that HowelPs orig
inal amendment would have interfered
with the immediate use of the addi-
tional money because of his belief that
no one could possibly give the controller
general assurances in advance that the
highway could be completed with this
authorization.
rDunning' Practice Hit.
Senator Howell is Directing to what
he says Is the practice Of starting Gov
eminent projects with a specified au-
thorization and then returning at future
sessions OF Congress for additional
amounts.
Senator Howell said yesterday that
when the memorial boulevard was
started the cost was estimated at S4,-
100000 and that now $2,700,000 is
found necessary to complete it. Con-
tinuing Senator Howell said:
THE boulevard is 14.6 miles long.
Deducting the one mile through the
town of Alexandria, the portion that
must be graded and fully constructed is
but 1876 miles long. Every dollar of
the $4,500,000 authorized has been OBJ
ligated. Out of that $4,500,00 there
has been expended $612,000 for land,
and all of the rest Of it is obligated to
construction at a cost of $2S6,000 per
mile, and it is now claimed that there
is not enough money within about
$2,450, 900 to complete the construction.
Limit Disregarded.
In other words, the limit placed
upon the cost of the boulevard by the
Congress has been utterly disregarded
and Government officials have gone
ahead and done as they pleased so that
today the boulevard is impossible, the
grading is not completed, the surfacing
has not even been begun and yet the
$4,000, 900 is all expended or must be
expended upon existing contracts for
grading and incidentals.
"Deducting the one mile through
Alexandria, the boulevard, according to
the latest estimate, will cost 1852, 900 a
mile without one dollar for land or right
of way added"