Evening star., 1946-07-27
Teachers Retirement
Bill on Senate's List
For Final Action Today
BY Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
Several District bills, including the
important teachers retirement meas
ure, are awaiting congressional &C
uon as leaders were speeding up the
legislative mill towards adjournment.
The House approved bill, providing
substantial liberalization of annu-
ities and encouragement for earlier
retirement, is now ready for Senate
actlon, after being approved, along
with other bills, yesterday by the
senate District Committee.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, who had told the committee
earlier in the day he wanted to salts
~ himself as to some questions about
the measure. added his approval last
night, and the bill was formally re-
ported to the Senate to go on the
calendar.
Hospital Bill to Truman.
The hospital center bill, whipped
swiftly through the Senate, was to
be at the White House today to await
PRESIDENT Truman's signature. Con-
gfessional and civic leaders who have
oeen fighting for Improvement in
dlsgraceful' hospital conditions
here expressed qualification toIay
over passage of the measure.
The bill would authorize Federal
Iunds up to maximum of $35 ,0OO,-
ooU Tor the center, but the actual
cost, for which funds must be ap-
propriated later, will be shared
among the non profit participating
hospitals and the District and Fed
eral Governments.
Whlle there was some regret evi-
dent today over the fact that the
Dill now before the President was
stripped of all provisions to aid
other hospitals in the city outside
The center, most persons appeared
to be glad the bill was passed, even
IN modified form.
John A. Reilly, president of the
Advisory Board of Providence Hos
pltal, called congressional approval
OF the center "a step in the right di-
rection."
Not Complete Solution.
However, am satisfied that con-
struction of the hospital center will
not solve the hospital problem in
the Washington Metropolitan Area, F"
Mr.. Reilly added. Sooner or later
the hospitals which are not due to
participate in the center must re-
ceive assistance if they are to 60 on
serving the city"
A similar view was expressed re-
Gently by Charles D. Drayton, presi-
dent of Children's Hospital, which.
like Providence, is not committed to
participation in the center.
Meanwhile, the House passed an
other hospital bill yesterday after
noon, when it adopted by vote of
136 to %, the so-called Hill-Burton
measure for Federal aid to hospitals
throughout the country, including
the District. The House adopted an
amended version of the Senate
passed bill and sent it back to the
Senate.
About S1,170,000 for d. C.
The Districts share of the bills
Federal aid would be somewhere
around $1,170,000. it was estimated
by Alan Johnstone, general counsel
of the Federal Works Agency. But
the District would have to raise
twice as much as that to make the
grant available.
Hope was fading for bill to plan
the proposed new courthouse and
some other buildings here. A COM
prehensive measure authorizing con-
struction of the courthouse failed to
muster the required tWo-thirds vote
yesterday when called up by Chair
man Lanham OF the House Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee,
under suspension of its rules. The
vote was 161 for, 1913 against.
Chairman Lanham said he still
had rule from the House Rules
Committee for one-hour debate on
the building bill. But time is grow
ing SO short that he feels there is
little hope now of bringing the
measure up under the rule. The bill,
however, has not yet been killed
outright by the House.
Similar Bill in Senate.
The bill includes authorization
for the courthouse acquisition of
an extra site for the General Ac-
counting Office at Third and E
streets NV, and plans for two
building at Suitland. Md, one for
film storage and another for general
office records. The bill also would
authorize construction of the first
wing of the film storage building.
Counteracting somewhat the fail
ure Of the Lanham bill to get
through the House was a companion
bill, almost Identical, now on the
Senate calendar 1t recently was
reported out by the Senate Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee.
Chairman Andrews of the commit
tee hopes to bring up the measure
for Senate action when the calen-
dar is reached.
Other bills reported out yester-
day by the Senate District Com
mittee and placed on the calendar
for action are one to authorize a
speedy pasteurization of milk by
dairy firms here, and one to in
crease the number of municipal
judges from 10 to 49,