Evening star., 1945-11-30
Fate Of Fund
To Aid PARKING
Up 10 Senate
House Kills $1,000
Item Needed to
Solve Problems
BY DON S. WARREN.

Motorists unable to park in or
near downtown Washington today
looked to the Senate for hope for
a $1,000 fund to provide a staff to
speed the work of the reactivated
Motor Vehicle Parking Agency in
planning off street facilities.
The item was proposed yesterday
as a minor" amendment to the huge
deficiency bill, but the house, over
riding the judgment of members
assigned to handle District affairs,
slapped it down by standing vote
of So to II. In this the House up
held a fight against the agency
lead by Chairman Cannon of its
Appropriations Committee.
In earlier actions, the District
had better fortune. The House
gave its approval, as expected, to
all city government items written
into the bill by the Cannon Com
mittee. totaling $68o,304, for i'm
mediate outlays for war-delayed
welfare agency, school and other
projects. Also, in passing on a
section dealing with the Civil Aero
nautics Authority, the house ac-
cepted an item for $3,998, 900 for
expansion of facilities at the Wash
ington National Airport.
Passage Likely Today.
These items, uncontested in the
committee" session of the House,
now are subject only to final pas
sage of the bill, expected today
unless national issues cause further
delay.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon R.
Young said last night failure to
provide the staff fund for the park
ing agency would impose a severe
handicap on the Districts efforts to
solve the parking problem.
The Department of Vehicles and
Traffic, he added, has insufficient
trained personnel to work out long
range plans and to make studies for
immediate relief.
The $1,000 amendment was offered
by Chairman Coffee of the District
Subcommittee of the appropriations
group, with the support of Chair
man Hebert of the Traffic Subcom-
mittee of the House District Com
mittee Another sponsor was Rep
resentative Stefan. Republican, of
Nebraska, ranking minority men,
ber of the Coffee subcommittee.
Recommendations Cited.
Mr. Coffee told the House the
District parking situation was ter
rible' and that the fund was need
ed to enable the agency, created by
Congress three years ago, to get
going He said the item was rec
commended by the Board of Trade,
the motor clubs, civic groups, the
Commissioners, the Budget Bureau
and the President.
He and Mr.. Hebert stressed that
the agency fund would come out of
District revenues and not add to
the Federal obliga tions.
Soothing at Sthe parking agency
program, however, Chairman Can
non contended there is nothing for
the agency to do" and that the "only
reason" it was created was because
some member of the House went
to show one evening and couldn't
f1nd a place to park his car-so he
put in a bill"
Another reason why the agency is
not needed, he said, was that the
District had "the greatest traffic
expert available" in William A. Van
Duzer, the traffic director.
In a bitter report, Mr.. Hebert
declared: IF the statements of the
committee chairman on other items
IN this bill are no more accurate
than what he has just said, it is no
wonder amendments are being of
fered to this bill" Chairman Can
non earlier had failed to defeat
other increases in the bill.
Plans Being Compiled.
Recommendations of long range
plans for solving the parking prob
lens will be forthcoming in about
80 days following a scheduled series
OF meetings and hearings by the
parking agency, P. Y. K. Howat,
chairman, announced yesterday fol-
lowing meeting of the agency.
First of these meetings will be
held December 10 to study data
collected by the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission on
the parking problem.
Later, Mr.. HoWat said, represent
atives of the American Automobile
Association. the Keystone Automo-
bile Club and various civic groups
would be asked to testify.
When we have a complete pic
ture of the situation, definite recon-
mendations will be made-recom-
mendations which we hope will
clear up the parking problem" Mr..
Howat said.