Evening star., 1934-05-15
D. D.C.PUBL|CW0RKS
COMPROMISE SEEN
Municipal Center May Be
Sidetracked to Win
Quick Action:

In order to save a portion Of the
$40, ,0e0, 900 public works program for
the District, strenuous efforts are be-
ing made today to have the bill, which
unanimously passed the Senate, modi-
fed in such a way that the House
Rules Committee will grant special
rule to expedite passage before the
closing rush.
After an executive session this
morning it was learned that members
of the Rules Committee, including
Chairman Bankhead. are particularly
favorable to the $4,000. 900 item for a
new sewage system for the Capital
Certain members also are favorable
to the 81 900 900 item for an adequate
tuberculosis hospital and for an item
of approximately $5o0,o00 for a wall
and other safeguards at the Lorton
Penal Institution.
The Rules Committee seems to be
quite generally opposed to the S.
000.000 item for construction Of a
new municipal center.
May Eliminate Center.
To meet this situation the House
District Committee at its regular
session tomorrow will consider COM
mittee amendments which will elimi-
nate the municipal center and other
items to which serious objection is
made. thus hoping to win a rule from
the Rules Committee.
Representative Smith. Democrat, Of
Virginia, a member Of the Rules Com
mittee, Is holding conferences with the
District of1icials In an effort to find
some way Of raising the money for
repayment of the Public Works Ad-
ministration loan, If granted. Repre-
sentative Smith already has suggested
that since there Is a strong objection
to permitting the District government
to borrow from the Federal Treasury,
there be written into the bill a par
ticular method Of raising the funds to
pay back the P. w. A. loan.
Tax Suggested
He has suggested to the Rules Com
mittee that an additional tax Of 10
cents be added to the existing tax rate
of $3.50 to set up a fund for amor
tizing the p. w. A. loan. As an alter
native proposition, Smith has sug-
gested his bill, which was previously
rejected by the House District Com
mittee, impose an additional 2-cent
gasoline tax. This alternative propo-
sition was not given much encourage
ment by the Rules Committee.
Representative Cochran. Democrat,
Of Missouri, chairman of the House
Expenditures Committee, expects to
appear before the House District
Committee tomorrow. He will sup
port the public buildings bill for as
large an amount as there Is a chance
to get by either the Rules Committee
or the House, but he will ask the
House District Committee to report
separately his bill providing for a
new sewage disposal system for the
District at an estimated cost Of
$4,000 900.
If the general District public works
bill fails, Cochran expects to press
and has received assurances from
members Of the Rules Committee that
they will aid him through a special
rule in getting the sewage disposal
system measure passed at this session.
The Rules Committee today author
lied special rule Of four other propo-
sitionS. One Of these Is the Cellers
Freeport bill, another is the Ever
glades National Park bill, the Tarver
bill for diversification of manufacture
by prison labor and a bill giving the
National Parks Administration over
several Western rivers.