Evening star., 1936-03-07
Texas Delegation Insists
D. c. Should Bear Entire
Initial Expense.
CONFEREES TO DISCUSS
COURSE FOR FUTURE
Senate Approved Measure With.
drawn in Lower Chamber
When Fight Develops.

early next week by its sponsors, who
withdrew the measure late yesterday
in the face of attacks which threat.
ened its defeat If a vote were taken.
After two days of wrangling over the
District appropriation bill, feeling.
were running high in the House wher
the conference report on the airport
bill. adopted by the Senate Thursday
without discussion or dissension. was
called up for approval. The House
conference managers apparently be.
lieved the House would approve theil
report. since the bill originated in the
House and was regarded in its present
form as agreeable to House views or
the subject.
Surprised by an entirely unexpected
whirlwind of attacks on the measure
led chiefly by members of the Texas
delegation and by Minority Leader
Smell and Representative Taber OF
New York, the House conferees and
members of the subcommittee in
charge of the original bill rose to its
defense and soon were engaged in a
vigorous controversy.
When it became apparent the House
was getting into an angry mood and
that the bill probably would be de-
feated if the issue came to a vote
Representative Bankhead of Alabama,
House majority leader. arranged for ii
to be withdrawn from consideration
Discussion Expected Today.
Although the House conferees are
expected to discuss plans for future
action on the bill today, there was nc
indication when 1t will be called up
again in the House. Whether amend
ments will be adopted to meet the OBJ
jections raised yesterday also has not
been decided.
House approval Of the conference
report yesterday afternoon would have
completed congressional action on the
bill and would have sent it to the
President for signature. Local airport
legislation has been under considera-
tion in every session of Congress dur
ing the past 10 years, and the present
bill, rewritten many times to meet
changing congressional views, has
been under consideration for more
than a year. It had been deadlocked
in conference more than seven months
House opposition yesterday afternoon
centered on the 100000 appropriation
Although the conferees originally
agreed that the appropriation should
come from the Federal Treasury, pend
ing a settlement of the question
whether the airport is to be national OF
purely local in character, and the Sen
ate had changed the bill to provide a
$3.50 contribution from Federal ano
District revenues, the bills attackers
led by Taber, insisted the District
should shoulder the entire cost.
Action Unexpected.
The airport bill was called up by
Representative Palmisano of Mary
land, House conference manager, i'm
mediately after the House had passed
the District appropriation bill. The
action was unexpected and there was
some delay while search was made
for Representative Dirksen, Republi-
can, of Illinois, who had notified
Minority Leader Smell he wanted to
speak on the airport matter when 1t
was called up.
Representative Lanham Of Texas,
opening the attack on the bill, said
that he believed that Washington,
through P. w. A. funds or w. P. A.
funds or other available funds is en-
titled to the same consideration with
reference to benefits to be received as
any other city in the country in the
matter of municipal or commercial
proposals, but probably to no more"
The proposal for the Federal Govern
ment to contribute half of the 100000
appropriation, he said.
aroused what I think is reasonable
fear that this will just be a predicate
for further and considerable sums"
Representative Nichols of Oklahoma,
one of the conferees, replied that the
policy as to whether the airport is to
be municipal or Federal has not been
determined and that Congress would
have an opportunity later to pass on
this question after the airport COM
mission had selected site.
He said that the Airport Subcom-
mittee which framed the original bill
was convinced that there was dire
need at this time for an adequate air
port in the District of Columbia.
Kvale Asks Question.
Representative Kvale asked whether
obtaining of options on an airport site
under terms of the bill would not
obligate Congress to purchase the site
at the owners own price. Representa-
tive Norton, chairman of the House
District Committee, replied that the
purpose of the 100000 appropriation
was ito get options on the property IN
order to protect the commission
against real estate men, who would
promptly Jump the price when they
found out the purpose of the investi-
CATION"
Taber then objected to the expendi-
ture of any Federal funds, expressed
the hope that the House would vote
down the conference report and that
q bill would be brought back charging
the entire cost to the District.
Representative Randolph OF West
chairman Of the subcommit-
tee on the bill, reminded the House
that for 10 years Congress has done
to solve the local airport
problem.
I'VE come to the Seventy fourth
Congress and we find nothing done as
yet upon a problem which is not only
but which is tragic IN its
importance, not only to
the National Capital, but to the mem
bers of this body who represent the 48
States" he said, "You say that the
Federal Government has no response
bility in this matter. It certainly has.
There are at least so to 100 members OF
this House who use the commercial
airlines of this country coming into
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