Evening star., 1945-11-30
Fate Of Fund
To Aid Parking
|up 10 Senate
House Kills $4,000
Item Needed to
Solve Problems
BY DON S. WARREN.

BY DUN 5. WAkKEN.
Motorists unable to park in or
near downtown Washington today
looked to the Senate for hope for
a 5000 fund to provide 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 a 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 $680,304, 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 severe
handicap on the Districts efforts to
solve the parking problem.
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.
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 and Mr.. Hebert stressed that
the agency fund would come out of
District revenues and not add to
the Federal obligations.
Inaccuracies" Claimed.
Mr.. Hebert said inaccuracies"
given the House by Mr.. Cannon in
cluded:
l. His allegation that the agency
was created by Congress only be-
cause some member of Congress had
been unable to find a parking place
when he went to a movie : and
2. That the new parking agency
was not needed because the District
already had a Department of We
hicles and Traffic. =,
These statements show that Mr..
Cannon has q complete lack of
knowledge Of the agency, its rea-
sons and purposes" said Mr.. Hebert.
ut was far-reaching measure that
Congress passed, to deal with park
ing lots and garages, rates to be
charged for such facilities, and per-
mitting an extension of the use of
parking meters, among other things.
1t is regarded as a model that many
other cities may see fit to follow.
Washington now can hope that
the Senate will insert the item so
that six months time will not be lost
to this agency in doing necessary
work to solve the citys perfectly
terrible parking situation"
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 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.