Evening star., 1934-06-24
Obtain Boost
in Supply
Measure.
CONCRESSCETS
MANY APPEALS
Federation Action
Halted Racing
Law Here.
BY JAMES f. CHINN.

District, but lett to die in either the
Senate or House, nearly as many
more in which the various civic and
trade organizations were vitally in
terested.
Among the measures passed, how
ever, were a number which the citi-
zens' and commercial associations
had sponsored or supported, so their
efforts, As far as legislation is con-
cerned. were not entirely in vain.
The fight of these organizations for
Increased appropriations for the Dis
trict in the coming fiscal year was
one of the outstanding achievements
and was partly responsible for more
than S3.0OO,O0O being added to the
appropriation bill above the amount
allowed by the House. With this
s3,c00000 the District government
will be in a position to provide some
of the public Improvements long advo-
Gated by organizations.
Aided fuDnc WORKS Bill.
The civic and trade bodies also can
take credit for helping to push
through Congress. at a psychological
moment. the bill which authorizes the
Commissioners to borrow S10,750,O00
from the Public Works Administration
for needed projects not carried in the
appropriation bill. The principal prof.
ect is the proposed $8000,000 sewage
disposal plant, designed to relieve the
Potomac of its dangerous pollution.
The so-called alley clearance bill.
passed near the end of the session. is
another measure which the civic and
trade groups have indorSed from time
to time during its long legislative
slumber at the Capitol With the
5500,0O0 P. w. A. grant which this bill
authorizes. a start can be made on
the long-contemplated program of
slum elimination.
The 1885 appropriation act, as it
finally emerged from the legislative
mill, carries S150,0O0 for the con-
struction of the Georgetown Branch
Public Library. This item alone had
the vigorous support of the trade
bodies and number of citizens asso-
Citations in the territory which it will
serve.
School Items Included.
A number of new school items also
went into the bill as a result of the
persistent campaign Of various civic
groups. These include an addition to
the Brown Junior High School; con-
tinuing construction of the woodrow
Wilson High School; an eight-ro6fn
building in the vicinity of the Logan
School; completing construction of
Junior high school building at Nine
teenth street and Minnesota avenue
southeast; construction of four-room
addition to the Phelps School; con-
struction of an addition to the Deal
Junior High School, and construction
of a gymnasium at the Powell Junior
High School.
Purchase of several school sites also
was authorized in the bill, due largely
to the activities of the civic organiza-
tions. One of these provides an ad-
ditional amount for purchase of site
for the new jefferson Junior High
School and the purchase of additional
land at the Phelps Vocational School.
Another bill in which the civic and
trade groups took an active part in
framing was the one legalizing the
sale of liquor in the District. From
the very inception of this measure
until its final passage, these organ
izations fought persistently to make
L. l., IL
Bills providing a pension for the
needy blind and the new District
Insurance code we're among the others
IN which the civic and trade groups
Eere deeply interested. Their support
unquestionablv aided in the passage
bf these measures.
Pension Bill Blocked.
$ Congress, however. did not pass the
0ld-age pension bill and bills to re-
nuire owners of public vehicles to
carry liability insurance. measures
which had the Endorsement of num-
Der of civic associations.
Some of the So-called minor bills
Which passed follow:
80 To regulate industrial insurance.
To amend the fire-escape act for
the benefit of small apartment houses
converted from residences.
To adjust Whitehaven Parkway
boundary and exchange public and
private land
To create a commission to settle the
century-old District Virginia boundary
dispute
To change the name of -Four and
a-half street southwest to Fourth
street.
- To change the name of street
southwest to Independence avenue.
ss5To amend the parole act to extend
benefits of indefinite parole to District
prisoners in Federal prisons.
zsTo amend the banking regulations.
t5sTo amend the District employees
liability law.
az
- Bills Which Failed to Pass.
z@sSome of the more important bills
which failed to pass were designed:
To provide for requirement of land in
excess land condemnation cases.
ITO strengthen the gambling laws.
To require furnishing of heat in
living quarters
To punish unlawful entry and occu-
pancy of vacant property.
To transfer the executive powers
OF the Board of Public welfare to the
Board of District Commissioners.
To create housing board.
TO amend the District usury laws.
To extend the powers of the Dis
trict commissioners.
} To authorize merger of the Wash
tngton and Georgetown Gas Light
Cos.
To widen Thirteenth street from
Spring road to Monroe street.
To amend the small-loans law.
To authorize the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission to
build stadium.
The bill to legalize horse racing in
the District was another measure that
met defeat in the closing hours of the
final session, and that was due largely
to the opposition of the Federation of
Citizens Associations and q group of
religious organizations. The measure
had passed the House and died in the
CnTata SlfYa ~ The ahinrfiov, nf Gam