Evening star., 1945-09-02
MANY DC. Bills
Due for Early
Congress Action
Housing Issue High
On List of Problems
Waiting Solution
BY DON s. WARREN.


and Senate District Committees yes
terday were planning early con-
sideration of some of the long list
of municipal measures still pending
before Congress.
High on the list, it was indicated,
is action on the long deferred prob
lem OF providing new plan and new
financing for slum clearance and
rehousing projects.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, Of
Nevada, chairman of District sub
committee considering highly contro-
versial bills on the subject, planned
an early conference with Senator
Burton, Republican, of Ohio in the
hope OF agreeing on the draft of a
bill.
Bilbo for Early Action.
His announced determination to
bring up this issue soon for action
brought an immediate expression of
approval from Chairman Bilbo of
the full District Committee, who
commented that he thought final
settlement of the issues had been
oClcilcu lOlS ellOugn.
The slum issues, which involve
the continued existence or replace
ment of the National Capital Hous-
ing Authority, as we'll as the major
question as to what extent public
and private enterprise shall engage
in subsidized redevelopment work,
constitute but one of several i'm
portant proposals pending.
Senator Bilbo put high on his list
his resolution seeking funds for
financing the preparation of work
ing plans for the proposed stadium,
which would be built here as ma
tional memorial to war veterans.
This authorizes the Federal Works
Agency to advance $150,000 The
resolution. favorably reported by the
District Committee, now in on the
Senate calendar awaiting action.
About 500 House Bills.
On the House District Committee
calendar are so different bills. The
Senate Committee chart shows &c.
The calendars, however, are not as
heavy as this would indicate, for
some of the bills deal with the same
subjects and some have been pend
ing for years in one form or another
and are considered dead. This ap-
plies also to some presented to Con-
gress only in the past year.
Additional legislation is expected
to be set up by the Commissioners
and others. One of these measures
is to propose continuation of the
Districts rent control system, prob
ably for another year. The present
law expires December 81. The Com
missioners have agreed with Senator
McCarran that to prevent hardship
rent control must be continued until
housing is more adequate.
Though considered as highly i'm
portant, the House-approved RAN
dolph bill to settle the century,
old District Virginia boundary issue
and remove the legal mo mans
land" on the Virginia shore of the
Potomac as yet has found no per-
sonal sponsor in the Senate Dis
trict Committee. 1t was passed by
the House, June Is after old con-
troversies had been ironed out in
the District Committee.
Want Boundary Settled.
At an early meeting of the Sem
ate District group, however, Senator
Bilbo is expected to name a SUBJ
committee to consider the measure
and schedule hearings on 1t, if
desired. Prompt action is ex-
pected to be sought by principal
sponsors of the boundary settle
ment, including officials of the
Justice Department, the Commits
sioners and the Park and Plan
ming Commission.
Mr.. Randolph was away from
Washington yesterday, but agents
of the House District Committee
indicated hearings may be expected
to be called soon on number of
the bills pending there.
Action on one of the most i'm
portant is scheduled to be DELAYED
until October This is the Senate
approved Tydings- -Bilbo bill author
izing Federal aid in the development
here of modern hospital center, 70
make possible the replacement of
number of the out-of-date, poorly
planned old buildings of private.
nonprofit hospitals. Questions were
raised by the Budget Bureau about
a number of features of the bill,
after it had been passed by the
Senate, and Chairman Randolph
has agreed to Withhold action by his
group until new survey of hospital
conditions here can be completed.
This has been scheduled for COM
pletion sometime in October.
Twin Bridge Project.
Hearings are expected to be re-
sumed without too much delay be-
fore a subcommittee of the House
Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee on the bill to authorize
the Commissioners to proceed with
the construction of a twin-span
bridge over the Potomac to replace
old Highway Bridge. Spokesman
for the Interior Department and the
Park and Planning Commission are
to be heard on their plea that the
bill be rewritten to order
single-Span project.
Still awaiting action by the House
and Senate are long deferred bills
to increase the number of District
youths who may be appointed TO
the Military and Naval Academies.