Evening star., 1936-05-14
ALLEY FUND FIGHT
IS GIVEN IMPETUS
ON TWO FRONTS
Buchanan in Favor of Con-
tinuing SIum Clearance
Work.
SENATORS TO HEAR
PROPONENTS PLEAS
Local Civic and Welfare Organ
izations to Urge Restoration
of 100000 Provision.

continuance Ol TIE Slulu-CItdI dIlCe
program here. Failure of the House
Appropriations Committee to include
in the first deficiency appropriation
bill a $500 600 provision for the au-
thority precipitated the crisis. The
fund was recommended by the Budget
Bureau and the President.
In the House there is some con.
ton which would authorize continuing
appropriations for the authority, the
revolving fund principle to be fol-
lowed in making use of the money
Chairman Buchanan will support q
Senate amendment continuing the
life of the Alley Authority, if the
Senate adds such an amendment.
In the Senate spokesmen for Local
civic and welfare organizations were
prepared to appear before the Finance
Subcommittee to urge restoration OF
the 100000 provision in the deficiency
bill, now pending before that COM
nittee
Consideration Postponed.
The delegation originally was sched-
developments on the work relief
phases of the deficiency bill made it
necessary to postpone consideration of
the Alley Dwelling item. Senator
. Adams, Democrat, of Colorado, chair
man of the subcommittee, said he
would try to hear the supporters of
the alley dwelling Improvement pro-
gram at noon today.
Senator Capper, Republican. Of
= Kansas, who sponsored the legislation
: two years ago under which compre-
{ hensive plans are being made to elm
: inate slum conditions in the alleys, is
taking an active part in support of
the Budget Bureaus recommendation
for the 100000 estimate. The
Kansan said recently it was not the
intention of Congress to limit the alley
dwelling agency to the original appro-
priation of 100000 it received at the
start.
Buchanan Seen as Sympathetic.
1t is felt that it would be true
economy to continue this work with
adequate funds. Assurance that the
Alley Dwelling Authority will not
actually die at the close of the cur
rent fiscal year was given late yes
terday by Chairman Buchanan of the
House Appropriations Committee and
by Representative John Taber of New
York, the ranking Republican on
the subcommittee. The latter group
challenged the budget recommended
ton for additional funds on the
ground that substantiative law
limited the authority to the initial
appropriation of S50O,000 as a re-
volving fund, until the work is COM
pleted"-the date set for completion
being 1945. These spokesmen for
both, the Democratic majority and
the Republican minority on all appro-
priation matters. said that they have
no hostility toward the authority and
have no objection to reappropriation.
as is necessary under the authorizing
act, any sums that may be to the
credit of the alley reclamation fund
at the close of the fiscal year.
There is an unobligated balance of
S9,816.76 out of 100000 allotted to
the authority-S500,0 900 as authorized
in the substantive law, by appropri-
alton on November 10, 1884, and
100000 by allotment from public
works funds December II, 1885. If
the Senate will include in the def
cheney bill an amendment to reappro-
pirate this balance, Chairman Buc-
hanan said, the House conferees on
the bill will approve it. However. he
now feels that he will oppose" further
appropriations for this authority, if
the Senate should include them, but
he has every intention of being fair
minded on this item and if he can be
shown that there is any authority in
law for further appropriations for
the Alley Dwelling Authority ne will
not be hostile.
It is to relieve the authority from
further doubt or challenge during the
next four or five years in seeking
annual appropriations.to continue the
good work sc well started that leaders
in Congress, at the solicitation of vari-
GUS citizens associations, are consider
ing the advisabiltiy of rushing through
q new legislative provision.
Douglas Dictated Wording.
Review of the original legislation
discloses that it was Lewis W. Douglas,
then director of the budget, who while
q member of Congress dictated the
language which has held up appro-
priations. When Frederic A. Delano,
as chairman of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, was
endeavoring to get this legislation
through Congress, Budget Director
Douglas informed him that there
would be no objection to the bill if
the language he suggested was in
serted instead of certain language in
the bill as it passed the Senate" Mr..
Delano transmitted this recommended
ton to Chairman Norton of the House
District Committee, saying, This
money will be spent in the District
as provided for in the alley dwelling
bill before you, of which you are
co-patron, to begin cleaning up the
alleys which are such breeders of
tuberculosis and other diseases and
of crime" He explained that instead
of taking $500,000 as a revolving fund
from the unexpended balance of the
old Housing Corp. $500,000 will be