Evening star., 1943-09-12
D. {. S|um Clearance
Tops Legislative List
OF District Committee
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The chief legislative drive of the
returning House District COMMITTEES
will be to obtain the adoption by
Congress Of long-range slum rec
lamation program, under which
thousands Of substandard living
quarters here would be torn down
and replaced by an adequate supply
of low-rent new housing.
The first District bill expected to
be passed, however, is for settlement
of the long-disputed boundary line
between the District and Virginia,
which has been complicated by the
development of the National Capital
Airport, on the Virginia shore.
An effort will be made to get
House action on four bills passed by
the Senate at the earliest possible
date, probably before the first Dis
trict day, September ~. These bills
would designate the Public Library
as a public depository for govern
mental publications.; authorize the
District assessor to mail out real
estate tax bills, including any un-
paid assessment, to the owner of
record, or his tenant or agent; pro-
vide for the mailing of annual
notices to owners of tax-exempt
properties, and authorize increased
compensation to the recorder of
deeds and the superintendent OF the
National Training School for Girls.
All Of these are sponsored by
Chairman McCarran of the Senate
District Committee, and are regard
ed as noncontroversial.
Ready in Two Weeks.
The slum reclamation legislation
Is expected to be drafted within the
next two weeks and placed before
the House District Committee for
consideration.
John Ihlder, executive officer of
the National Capital Housing Au-
thority and one of the chief pro-
ponents of slum replacement, said
yesterday he will submit his recon-
mendations for the proposed legis-
lation to the committee soon, at the
request of Chairman Randolph. Re-
turning members of the committee
have indicated they will cooperate
earnestly with Mr.. Randolph in
pushing. for adoption of the 'better
housing" program.
While most of the proposed slum
reclamation probably will have to
wait until after the war, because of
the shortage of critical building ma
terials, Mr.. Ihlder has indicated
that this session of Congress will
be asked to appropriate 5000, 900.
This sum, he has said, will permit
planning OF the program now, and
will enable building to begin before
the wars end in the event that cas-
ing of military demands makes suf-
ficient critical materials available.
Backed by Commissioners.
District Commissioners have
pledged their support of the pro-
gram, and Commissioner Guy Ma
son has suggested that the initial
request for funds be for $4,000 900.
District committee members en-
phasize that the low-rent housing
to be furnished by the Government
in the District is to supplement what
Is done by private enterprise. If
private capital undertakes this task.
the Government will be relieved,
they say.
Chairman Randolph and other
District committee members are
hopeful the Virginia boundary dis
pute can be settled very soon, by
approval of the bill sponsored by
Mr.. Randolph. This would make
the high water mark on the Virginia
shore of the Potomac River the
natural boundary line. This bill
has been approved by the Virginia
Legislature, by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, by
the District Commissioners, by the
Interior Department, which polices
the grounds, and by the Department
of Justice which helped redraft the
bill. The Civil Aeronautics Board,
which administers the airport, de-
sired to have it placed in the Dis
trict, and Is the only interested
agency which has not endorsed the
Randolph bill.
Logical Boundary.
Thomas s. Settle, secretary of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, explained yesterday
that the commission felt the log
lcal, common-sense boundary line is
the Potomac River-that as long as
. man stands on the Virginia bank
and keeps his toes dry he knows he
Is In Virginia-when he gets his
feet wet he'll know he is in the Dis
trict." The boundary line would
follow any new water line. Mr..
Settle further explained that "the
has a police station on the
water front and would make any
necessary arrests on the water. The
park police now make arrests along
the Mount Vernon boulevard and
would police the land side as a
Federal agency. The land is all
owned by the Federal Government
and no property rights are involved
The Federal Government bought
the land, developed and built the
airport and operates 1t through
Federal agency"
Another pending District bill on
which House committee action soon
will be sought provides for registra-
ton of births in the District which
were not registered at the time of
birth. This bill was introduced by
Mr.. Randolph on January 6, 1943,
and referred to the Judiciary Sub
committee on March 8. A favorable
subcommittee report is expected be-
fore the first full committee meet
ing.
Chairman McGehee of the Judic-
larry Subcommittee intends to have
q hearing as soon as possible on the