Evening star., 1934-04-29
D. c. PUBLIC WORKS
BILL TO Be PUSHED
BY MRS. NORTON
Promises to Resort to Ex-
traordinary Parliamentary
Procedure for Action.
BLANT0N THREATENS
TO BLOCK LEGISLATION
Chairman Plans to Confer With
Speaker Rainey in Effort to
Get Special Rule.

Chairman Norton of the House Dis
trict Committee announced last night
she would resort to extraordinary
parliamentary procedure to get early
House action on the Districts $780,
100000 public works bill.
With the next District day in the
House-the earliest date on which the
measure could be considered under
regular rules-two weeks away, Mrs
Norton said she would make a de-
termined effort to get a special rule
to call it up at the first break in
national legislation.
Without a special rule, the bill could
only be brought up under unanimous
consent before the next District day
Since Representative Blanton, Demo-
crat of Texas. already has threatened
to use every weapon at his command
to defeat the measure, it is not likely
1t would get attention under that
plan.
Promises to Speed Bill.
As the bill was passed with un-
precedented speed in the Senate. Mrs.
Norton declared she did not want to
have it remain on the House calendar
until the closing days of the present
session for fear passage might be
blocked.
I'm going to use every parlia-
mentary procedure possible" she said,
Ito get this bill through the House
at this session.
Mrs. Norton plans to confer tomor-
SnI1 I,ith GraaEor % ir-
man Bankhead of the Rules Com
mittee, in an effort to get special
rule for the bills early consideration.
The measure is now before Mrs.
Norton's committee and she hopes to
have it reported out favorably at the
regular meeting Wednesday. With
a rule. it might come before the
House after disposition of the stock
exchange bill
The Commissioners, under the bill,
would be authorized to borrow S20,-
100000 from the Public Works Ad-
ministration for needed public i'm
provements. These include a sewerage
disposal plant, a new tuberculosis
hospital, the first unit of the proposed
Municipal Center, additional schools,
parks and Fairgrounds. and an ad-
dition to Gallinger Municipal Hos
pital.
Other Measures Pending.
Aside from the public works bill,
Mrs. Norton also is anxious to get
early House action on the slum-clear-
ance and old-age pension measures,
both of which are on the calendar.
Blanton prevented House action on
the old-age pensio nbill last week,
and it's consideration has been de-
layed until May IA. The alley-clear-
ance bill was reported out of the
committee last Wednesday.
AS House leaders hope for adjourn
ment by May Is, the forthcoming Dis
trict day, May IA, may be the final
of the current session. At that time
Mrs. Norton believes the calendar will
be cleared of all important District
legislation. Measures now pending
include those providing for the trans
fer of the executive powers of the
Board of Public Welfare to the Dis
trict Commissioners; amending the
procedure before the Public Utilities
Commission, amending the District
parole act, amending the fire escape
law, amending the insurance act, ad-
justing of land claims on the Potomac
and Anacostla Rivers and requiring
financial responsibility by taxicab
operators and financial responsibility
for automobile owners held to blame
in accidents.