Evening star., 1934-05-09
S2O,00O,0DOP. ". A.
LOANFOR DISTRICT
TO Be CONSIDERED
House Rules Group Decides
on Hearing Before Full
Committee.
BILL WILL BE THROWN
OUT WINDOW, SAYS cox
Cochran Denies He Has Ever Re-
ceived Letters From Out
side Opposition.

The House Rules Committee today
decided to give a hearing before the
full committee Friday at 10 o'clock
on the District public works bill,
which would authorize the Commits
sioners to apply for a loan of $40 0000,-
600 from the Public Works Admins
tration for important construction
projects, including a tuberculosis hos
pital and sewerage disposal system.
Representative Cochran, Democrat,
of Missouri, and Representative How
ard Smith of Virginia, a member of
the Rules Committee, made the fight
today to have the measure considered
on its merits before the Rules Com
mittee when it became apparent that
adverse action was probable on the
rule applied by Chairman Norton Of
the House District Committee.
Seeks Definite Information.
The committee decided it should
have definite information from re-
sponsible officials regarding the urgent
need for some of the construction
projects and should be reliably in
formed as to how the loan from the
P. w. A would be repaid.
Representative Smith, in reply to
questions from Chairman Bankhead,
explained that 10 per cent of the
loan was paid back in exactly the
same way that States and munich
palitieS all over the country are max
ing repayments of similar loans.
Frederic A. Delano. as chairman of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, presented a state
ment to the Rules Committee setting
forth the reasons why the loan should
be made to the District and notifying
the committee that the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission
Is heartily supporting the legislation
Cites Engineers Reports.
Representative Cochran explained
to the committee that two special
studies. one by the Public Health
Service and one by committee of
outstanding sanitary engineers, work.
ing under a $4,000 ALLEGATION from
the P. w. A., had in separate reports
recommended immediate construction
of the sewerage disposal system for
the District, which would correct pol
luton of the Potomac River with a
consequent grave menace to health
of the community. Cochran pointed
out that both Virginia and Maryland
had borrowed from the P. w. A. to
aid in correction of the pollution of
the river, but that they we're held up
until it could be determined how
much the District would cooperate.
Representative Cox, Democrat, of
Georgia, without giving any reasons
said the House would throw the bill
out the window and that there was
not the slightest show of passing it.
Representative O'Connor, Democrat,
of New York, ranking majority men,
ber of the committee, suggested Mr.
Cochran should ask for a special rule
on his own bill providing for new
sewage disposal system.
Denies Receiving Letter.
In reply to a statement by Mr.. Cox
that the people of the country were
tired of having Washington bear down
upon them, Cochran said that he had
never received one letter or heard one
word from any one in his district op-
posed to legislation for the National
Capital, but that his constituents had
frequently urged him to support lib
eral legislation for their Capital city.
Chairman Bankhead was particu-
larly anxious to have record before
fhe RIIles Committee as to how il was
proposed to pay back the S20,000,000
loan if granted.
When Representative SABBATH, Dem
ocrat, of Illinois raised the question
that Public Works Administrator
Ickes had stated that public works
funds are exhausted, Representative
Cochran replied that the President
has already asked for another ST ,600,-
900, 900 and that the only reason that
has not already been appropriated is
because some of the Senators want to
make it S3,000,000 900.