Evening star., 1946-05-29
House Group
Delays Action
On D. {. S|ums
Stricter Controls
Over Diseases
Given Approval
By Don s Warren
By Don S. Warren

After brief discussion, the House
District Committee today ordered a
favorable report on the bill providing
stricter controls over communicable
disease patients but postponed until
Monday final decision on the slum
redevelopment bill.
Two amendments to the Senate
passed slum measure, which pro-
poses 10-year $20,O000O0 program
for clearing and rebuilding WASH
ingtons "blighted" areas were ac-
cepted. Because the House was
meeting early today, however, Chair
man Mcmillan announced another
session would be held Monday for
consideration of other changes in
the bill.
The communicable disease bill is
recommended by the Commissioners
and Health Officer George C. Ruh-
land and is directed primarily at
persons who refuse medical treat
ment or isolation when they have
communicable diseases.
Minors to Be Separated.
The bill was amended at the re-
quest of Representative O'Hara,
Republican, of Minnesota to provide
that patients under 1S years of age
may not be confined in the same
quarters with an adult.
i Mr.. OHara also questioned
whether the bill should be changed
to require that persons accused of
refusing isolation or treatment make
personal appearance at court hear
lngs. He said he was satisfied, how
ever, after Corporation Counsel
VernoNE. West said 1T would be
very dangerous thing to bring into
court a person having a contagious
disease" and explained that in such
cases the patient could be repre-
sented by counsel.
Chairman Mcmillan plans to bring
both the communicable disease and
the slum bills before the House for
action a week from Monday, the
next scheduled District day. While
another committee session is sched-
uled for next Monday on the slum
bill, Mr.. Mcmillan said he felt sure
the bill would be reported by the
full committee.
Debate on Housing Costs.
The most controversial question in
the slum bill is the definition of
public low rent housing, which will
measure the scope of the slum re-
development work which may be
done by the National Capital Hous-
ing Authority.
Representative McGehee, Democrat
of Mississippi, chairman of the
judiciary Subcommittee of the Dis
trlct group, is insisting on an amend
ment to the Senate bill which would
limit public housing" in the low
cost field to the so-called sub
merged fifth" of the population
according to net family income.
Representative Dirksen, Republican
of Illinois, and other members of
the District Committee, have taken
the position this definition is too
cumbersome and too restrictive as
to the work of the NCHA.
The committee today received
pleas from several groups to reject
the McGehee definition and to ap-
prove that passed by the Senate.
Word to this effect came from the
Washington Central Labor Union
through its president C. F. Preller;
Hubert B. Pair, chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Wash
ington Bar Association, and Joseph
H. Douglas, executive secretary of
the Washington Urban League.
Would Permit $1,000 Loans.
One amendment to the slum bill
agreed to today would be to permit
life insurance companies, as we'll as
building and loan associations to
make loans up to a total of $4,000
for home repairs or additions. In
the case of life insurance companies
this would be permitted only in cases
where the company already had
made first mortgage loan on the
property.
There has been dispute also over
proposal to limit to one year in
stead of three years from the date
OF enactment of the measure of the
authority of the NCHA to buy or
condemn sites for slum redevelop-
ment projects. The bill provides
that this would be taken over by a
new agency, the District Redevelop-
ment Land Agency. Planning off,
cials are urging the three-year rule
for fear the new agency might not
obtain appropriation in time to
take over the land acquisition work
In one year.
Chairman Mcmillan and Mrs. Nc
Gehee today suggested this issue
might easily be settled by a clause
authorizing the Commissioners to
halt land acquisition by the NCHA
as soon as the new agency is
equipped to assume the duty.