Evening star., 1946-07-26
Hospital Center
VotedbySenate,
Goes 10 Truman
Swift Action Token
After Acceptance Of
Amendments by House
By Harold B. ROGERS

Congressional action on the
new hospital center for Wash
ington was completed today
when the Senate by unanimous
voice vote passed the House.
approved bill and sent it to the
White House.
Action by the Senate came swiftly
after a meeting of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, where differences
between the Senate and House ver-
sions of the hospital bill were ex-
planned.
Chairman Bilbo. authorized by
favorable report of the group. went
Immediately from the committee
room to the Senate floor and called
up the bill.
Satisfied With Measure.
Minority Leader White briefly in
quired about the measure, asking for
an explanation,
Senator Smith, Republican, of New
Jersey, who had just come from the
District Committee meeting. replied
that he was perfectly satisfied with
the measure and joined Senator Bill
bo in his motion to adopt the House
version.
Senator White. Republican, OF
Maine said that the only questions
he had heard raised were from the
New Jersey Senator, and therefore
he had no objection.
Whereupon, on voice vote, the
Senate approved the measure and
sent it to the White House.
The House had amended the Sem
ate bill, which had been sponsored
bv Senator Tydings, Democrat, OF
MARYLAND and Senator Bilbo to pro-
vide for financing the center. The
House amendments, it was brought
out at the District Committee meet
ing, were entirely agreeable to Sena-
tor Tydings.
FWA Construction Approved.
! Briefly the measure provides that
the Federal Works Agency shall
construct a hospital center, to be
paid for jointly by the hospitals
participating in it, the District OF
Columbia Government and Federal
grant. When the center is finished,
| it would be conveyed to private
agency for operation.
/ During extensive explanation OF
the difference between the Senate
and House versions, Alan Johnstone,
general counsel Of the Federal
Works Agency, told the District
Committee that the Federal Works
Administrator was authorized only
to design and build the center But.
Mr.. Johnstone emphasized, he would
not operate it.
The three hospitals now commit
ted to participate in the center
Emergency. Garfield and Episcopal
would turn over to the Govern
ment all their physical assets as part
payment for the center. The re-
manning cost would be divided. 80
per cent from the District of Colum-
bia Government, 10 per cent from
the Federal grant.
Would Cost Sl5,000, 900
The center, Mr.. Johnstone esti-
mated, would cost somewhere be-
tween $4,000 900 and $50 900 900.
The bill already passed by both
houses. carries an authorization OF
s35 100000
The action of the House recently
in stripping from its measure a
provision that would have author
lied renovation and repair of other
hospitals in Washington outside the
center was discussed at some length
in the Senate District Committee.
Some regret was expressed that
the House had denied these other
hospitals such Federal aid. but it
was agreed that to attempt to send
= the bill back to conference at this
late date in the closing session OF
Congress probably would run the
risk of losing the center measure
altogether.
There was only one dissenting
vote in the Senate District Commit
tee against the motion for approval
by Senator Young, Republican. OF
North Dakota. He felt the bill was
too general in granting wide author
!! ity to the Federal Works Admin.
iSfro FOR