Evening star., 1936-03-05
CAPITALS PART
$4,000 AS PORTION
+. OF EARLY EXPENSE
Commission Must Select,
Report to Congress
by June 80.
CHANGES INSTITUTED
BY SENATE CONFEREES
House Bill Now Being Rewritten
and Must Go Back to
Conference.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

At the inSistence of Senate con-
ferees, the local airport bill, after
seven months in conference, was
amended again today to provide that
the District government shall pay half
of the preliminary expense OF selecting
an airport site and obtaining options
on the property An appropriation of
100000 is authorized for this purpose
House conferees had drafted and
signed conference report on bill
providing that the Federal Govern
ment should pay the entire prelimi-
nary cost and that the Airport Com
mission to be created by the measure
should determine whether the pro-
posed airport is to be entirely Federal
or local in character.
The Senate conferees also amended
the bill to require that the Airport
Commission make its selection Of
site and report to Congress not later
than June 80.
House Bill is Rewritten.
The House bill now is being re-
written to include the Senate amend
ments and the Senate conferees.
headed by Senator Tydings Of Mary
land. may sign their report to the
Senate late today In view of the de-
lays due to these last-minute changes,
it is regarded as improbable that the
bill will be called up for Senate con-
sideration today.
AS a result of the changes made
today, the bill must 60 back to con-
ference between the Senate and House,
While Chairman Norton Of the House
District Committee, yesterday ex-
pressed the opinion the proposed air.
port should be entirely Federal in
character, it was indicated that the
House conferees might yield to the
Senate in the plan to make the District
share in the preliminary expense OF
airport survey and acquisition o.
options.
The Senate conferees made no change
in the provisions of the House bill
providing for commission of nine
members-three Senator's, three mem
bers of the House and three preslden-
tial appointees. 1t was disagreement
over the commission membership
which resulted in the seven months
deadlock over the bill between Senate
and House.
Feared Point of Order.
It is understood that the Senate con-
ferees made the change putting half
of the expense on the District because
they feared the measure would be sub
ject to a point of order in the House
otherwise.
1t was pointed out that the original
House airport bill, passed more than
a year ago, provided an appropriation
of S2,500,000, to come entirely from
District revenues. to cover the entire
cost of constructing an airport. The
Senate knocked out the authorization.
providing only $1,000 for preliminary
study, this amount to be taken from
Federal and District revenues on
$3.50 basis,
After being deadlocked since last
Summer, the bill again was rewritten
last week to provide for the 100000
appropriation, to come entirely from
the Federal Treasury. Senate con-
ferees, it was explained, feared that
it was beyond the scope of the con-
ferees' power to make the about-face
from the wholly District appropri-
alton of the original bill to the wholly
Federal authorization
Further Study to Be Made.
These recommendations were for
mally presented to the Commissioners
by the committee today. Further study
of the suggestions is to be made.
Amplifying its recommendations,
the committee pointed out: future
District and Federal buildings should
provide parking facilities; the streets
to be widened would be K street from
Thirteenth street to Connecticut ave-
nue.; Eleventh, from Massachusetts, to
Florida avenue; and Fifteenth street
from Pennsylvania avenue to K street.
Samuel j. Solomon. manager of
Washington Airport, is expected to re-
turn to Washington tomorrow morning
from Boston and to take up with Vir-
ginia authorities and Department of
Commerce officials the details of polio
ing of Military road in accordance
with the terms of emergency legisla-
ton signed Tuesday by President
Roosevelt.