Evening star., 1933-05-30
|A[LEY AND MERGER
| BILLS APPROVED.
Senate Committee Adopts
Favorable Reports for
Both Measures.

The S500.000 alley improvement bill
| and the Washington-Geo Gas
| Light merger measure we're given
favorable reports by the Senate District
Committee yesterday afternoon. Both
! bills will be placed on the Senate
calendar within day or two.
The District Committee meeting also
| was marked by selection of Senator
| Austin, Republican. of Vermont as
| head of a subcommittee to conduct
the study of prices of milk and other
| dairy products in Washington, ordered
by the Senate a week ago. Other
,, members of the subcommittee will be
Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New
York, and Senator King Democrat, of
Utah. who is chairman of the District
Committee.
Chairman King to consider proposed
changes in the workman's compensa-
ton law of the District. Frank ].
Coleman secretary of the Washington
Central Labor Union, who urged the
study of the law, stated that five in
surance companies have notified the
Employees Compensation Commission
that they are unable to pay claims of
injured workers here.
Carey Heads Committee.
Senator King named Senator Carey,
Republican, of Wyoming. chairman of
subcommittee to study the situation
referred to by Mr.. Coleman. Others
on the subcommittee are Senators
Tydings, Democrat, of Maryland and
McCarran, Democrat, of Nevada. Later
in the afternoon the subcommittee held
brief conference on the subject.
Others who accompanied Mr.. Cole
man in comforting with the subcommit-
tee regarding the operation of the
workmen's compensation law were Ed
ward J. Murphy. representing the en-
pioyers; Frederick j. Rice, representing
the master builders; Edward Tracy of
the legal staff of the American Fedora
ton of Labor. and John Locher of the
Washington Building Trades Associa-
ton.
One suggestion made was that the
subcommittee consider changing the
District compensation law to the State
fund plan, under which an initial ap-
preparation of public funds would be
made to operate the system until a
sufficient amount Is accumulated in
premiums. The conference yesterday
was brief and informal. Senator Carey
suggested that the groups present pre-
pare definite proposals for consideration
at later meeting.
Capper Motion Rejected.
The District Committee approved the
gas company merger bill, after reject
ing a motion by Senator Capper, Re-
publican, of Kansas, to require the COM
panies to waive any claim to going con-
Germ value in future valuation cases if
they accept the terms of consolidation.
In advocating this amendment, Senator
CQnnpr iS rQrrUin0 tho Apbt hoo1tv,
last year by the late Senator Howell,
Republican. of Nebraska, who contend
ed the factor of going concern should
be eliminated In return for benefits the
company will get from the bill. Senator
Capper indicated he would offer the
amendment when the bill is taken up in
the Senate
Before voting on the gas merger bill
the committee heard George E. Sulli-
van, vice president of the Federation of
Citizens Associations, present the brief
OF the federation opposing the measure
in its present form. The federation sup
ported the Capper amendment to elimi-
nate going concern value, and also
urged other changes
The alley improvement bill was ap-
proved in the form in which 1t was re-
Gently rewritten in conferences between
officials of the District government and
the Park and Planning Commission. 1t
makes available S500,000 of unexpended
balances of the United States Housing
Corporation, to be used in making a
start on the reconstruction of alley
areas and the opening up OF blind
alleys INTO minor streets.
Amendments Turned Down.
The President would designate the
agency 10 carry out the program. The
agency could acquire alley property, re-
plat the area to make 1t available for
other Uses and either make improve
property for private development The
bill authorizes loans to limited dividend
corporations or to home owners for
such development.
James Wilkes, representing the OPP
erative Builders, suggested an amend
ment to limit the agency to buying only
such street-front property as may be
needed to open the ends of alleys or
to widen the entrances to alleys. The
amendment was rejected, after Col. U.
S. Grant, Sd, of the planning commits
sion, had expressed fear it might COM
plicate the condemnation procedure.
Senator Carey offered an amendment
to prevent the agency placed in charge
of the measure from carrying on re-
building operations. This amendment
also was rejected. Col. Grant told the ,
committee that it is not intended that
development of the property by the
Government Is to be the normal course
of procedure.
william NICK. Clayton urged reason
able limitations to prevent the alley
improvement program from spreading
oft hevopd the gradual DrOceSS con-