Evening star., 1946-06-11
House Asks
$3,729,358 for .
ST. E|izabeth's
House Appropriation
Is Million More Than
Budget Estimate
By Corter Brooke Jones

By Corter Brooke Jones
The House Appropriations Com.
mittee, reporting the ls47 supply bill
for the Labor Department and the
Social Security Agency to the House
today, recommended $3,729,358 fol
st. Elizabeth's Hospital-$1 ,062, ,35s
above the estimate by the Budget
Bureau.
This increase, the committee ex-
planned, is for eliminating, If pos
slble, numerous deficiencies which
have been the experience of the in
stitution during the last three years
and to provide $4,000 for a general
overall survey of the entire institu-
tion by the Public Buildings Admin
istration."
The Public Buildings Administra-
tion was criticized sharply by the
committee for failing to carry for
ward construction program already
authorized by Congress. The COM
mlttee's report said: 1T is now felt
that there has been untimely delay
by the Public Buildings Administra-
ton in placing these structures
under contract"
Reject Bureaus Proposal.
The committee, in recommending
appropriations for an engineering
building and two women's dormi-
tories at Howard University ap-
proved by the Budget Bureau, dis
approved construction of dental
building, an auditorium and fine
arts building. costing $3.50 900
which the bureau also had cleared
The committee also withheld ap-
proval of another item at Howard
University for plans and specifica-
tons for four new buildings and for
alterations to an existing building
at total cost of $2,693. $50. The
report explained that this item had
been deleted lin the belief that
existing conditions in the building
industry give no promise that such a
building program can be carried out
for some time to come"
The committee added: I'm the
minds OF some members of the
committee there Is also the cues
ton whether serious thought should
not be given to the limits beyond
which 1t may not be advisable to
develop this institution.
Large Enrollments Questioned.
Excessively large enrollments
have not been an unmixed blessing
for the large universities. There
are many who believe that needed
expansion aof educational facilities
would be better accomplished
through the establishment of new
schools or the augmentation of ac-
commodations of existing smaller
schools.
THE physical limitations of the
City of Washington is another fac
tor to be considered.
THE committee has noted from
the agency qualifications and from
the annual report of June 30, 1945
that we'll over 100 foreign students
are enrolled in the university. This
indicates that the American taxpay-
er is substituting to degree the edu-
cation OF students from foreign
countries. This has no reference tc
students from United States pos
sessions"
Sharp discussion Revealed.
Hearings on the appropriation
bill, made public today, disclosed q
sharp discussion on the future oil
Howard University between Repre-.
sentative Hare, Democrat, of South
Carolina, chairman of the subcom.
mittee in charge of the measure, ane
DR.. Mordecai Johnson, president o.
the institution.
In recommending an extensive
building program, DR.. johnson tolc
the subcommittee that enrollmen
had increased from 1925 to 1929 il
II years and was still increasing
This year, he added, the enrollmen
will reach at least 1880 and "tht
veterans are beginning to pour il
on us now
Discussing the needs of the med
tcal school, the president pointed
out that Howard offers one of tht
two medical schools in an area with
a population of 100000 Negroes.
Negro Doctors Are Needed.
"The need for Negro physicians i.
so great throughout the South,' h,
added, that it would be a TRACED,
indeed If we should undertake tt
limit admission to students from thu
District of Columbia"
Mr. Hare said "if we are to un.
dertake to provide services for peo
pie throughout the entire Unitee
States, I really think there ought tt
be some increase of the tuition fees
in order to remove as much as pos.
sible the expenditures on the par
of the Federal Government.
DR.. johnson replied that fees paie
by Howard students, children of thu
poorest tenth of the population,
exceeded by several per cent thu
average fee paid in all publicly sup.
ported institutions of the United
States for white people.
The committee approved $712 ,70(
for the engineering building ane
$665,000 for the two new women!
dormitories.
The bill carried the full amour
OF 1921 900 recommended by tn,
Budget Bureau for Freedmen's Hos
pital. This will go largely for sal
aries and expenses.
The Appropriations Committee
recommended $5,966,948 for the Ma
tional Institute of Health here
This is $3,100,948 above the appro
priation for the current year ant
$1,683,9 over the Budget Burea,
estimate.
There is an appropriation of s221,'
300 for the Columbia Institution fol
the Deaf, an increase of $4,000.
Baby Dies as Home Burns