Evening star., 1938-03-30
D. c. SUPPLY BILL
GOES ST0PRES|DENT
Permits Parking Meters,
$47,255,155 Provided
for City Expenses.

Its long and stormy legislative
journey at an end, the 1889 District
appropriation bill went to the White
House today for the signature of
President Roosevelt-an act that will
unloose $47,255,l55 to meet municipal
expenses in the fiscal year beginning
July /.
The Senate hurriedly applied finish
ing touches to the measure late yes
terday, shortly after the House had
agreed to accept conference report
authorizing the Commissioners to in
stall parking meters in Washington
for one year on an experimental
basis.
There was no discussion in the
Senate over the parking meter plan
because it originated there, but the
House, which three times previously
had revolted against it, was slow in
acquiescing.
Vigorous Effort to Kill Plan.
Final House approval came only
after vigorous attempt by opponents
of the parking meter plan to kill it..
Two votes were necessary to get the
bill back to the Senate with the park
ing meter provision intact.
In final form, the bill will permit
installation of parking meters, 20
feet apart, on four blocks in the
business section, to be selected by the
Commissioners. The parking rate will
be cents an hour. The meters will
be installed after July l, at no cost to
the District. If their operation proves
unsuccessful, they must be removed at
the end of the year.
In the midst of the parking meter
debate in the House, Representative
Dlrksen, Republican. of Illinois dropped
into the hopper his promised bill
authorizing the Commissioners to ac-
qulre prlvately-oWned parking lots and
operate them as a municipal enterprise.
Favors 10 Cents Day Rate.
Representative Dirksen believes the
municipally-owned lots can be oper-
ated at profit with 1O-cents-a- day
rate. His bill, however, gives the Com
missioners authority to fix the rates,
and stipulates they shall be based on
the costs of maintenance, operation
and repair, including an amount equiv
alent to the taxes which would be
levied if the property would be pri-
vately owned.
The bill also provides for leasing bv
the District of Federal-owned prop
erty that may be converted into public
parking lots, and directs that profits
from the lots, as well as the revenue
from parking meters and the gasoline
tax, be used to acquire additional pub
hc parking spaces. Free parking would
be provided on these lots for Federal
and Dlstrict-owned vehicles used for
official business.
House debate on the parking meter
plan developed into a discussion of
parking conditions in WASHINGTON,
during which several members charged
the police are not rigidly enforcing
the one-hour parking regulations.
O'Malley Led Opposition.
Opposition to parking meters was
led by Representative OMalley, Dem
ocrat, of Wisconsin He was sup
ported by Representatives Schultz,
Democrat, of Indiana and Shafer. Re-
publican, of Michigan.
Representative O'Malley described
the meters as municipal slot ma
chimes" and charged that the expert
mental basis on which it is proposed
to install them is merely disguise"
to give them foothold
Representative Schultz argued that
the Traffic Subcommittee of the House
District Committee, which he heads.
Is endeavoring to clear the streets of
parked cars so traffic may move more
smoothly, and pointed out that parking
meters would destroy the plan.
Representative Nichols, Democrat,
OF Oklahoma, came to the aid of
Chairman Collins of the Subcommit-
tee on District Appropriations in his
effort to pilot the conference report
through the House. Representative
Nichols said in every instance where
meters had been given fair test they
had been enthusiastically accepted by
both business men and motorists"