Evening star., 1946-07-24
SenateExpected
1oAecept House
Hospital Plan
Action to Be Sought
By BiIbo to Save
D. c. Center Bill
By Don S. Worren

"A move for Senate approval o1
the House version of the District
hospital center bill, to avoid
possible death for the legislation
in the closing days of this Con-
greSS, was awaited today.
Chairman Bilbo of the Senate
District Committee, a co-author oi
the measure authorizing the big
center, indicated he would ask
Senate adoption of the House Ian.
guage to make sure the bill woulc
not die in conference in the i'm
pending last-hour jam.
He recalled that provision of ar
adequate and modern hospital cen.
ter had been one of his prime
objectives as chairman of the Sen
ate District Committee and made
clear he did not propose to stane
the loss of the legislation in the
last days of this Congress merely
because of argument over details
of the differences between the House
and Senate bills.
House Asks ID. c. Funds.
Proponents of the project, eSti-
mated variouSly to cost between
S15,OO0,0OO and $2O,0O0,OO0, explained
the objectives of the House anG
Senate versions of the TydingS-
Bilbo measure were the same, al
though the House has entirely re-
drafted the language of the measure
In doing so, the House insisted that
the District government make 6
substantial contribution to the cost
of the project-a provision not in
corporated into the Senate bill
This would have the effect Of re-
ducing the size of the Federal grant
Meanwhile, a similar drive was
under way to clear the last hurdle
confronting the Districts $20,0 00(
slum redevelopment bill. Senator
McCarran, Democrat, of Nevada
said he hoped an agreement would
be reached before the close of bust
ness tonight to ask Senate approval
of the House draft of this bill, so il
also could go to the White House
without running the hazard OF
death in conference when Congress
adjournS.
Lone Major Issue.
The Nevada Senator said he was
convinced this course appeared the
most advisable since a protracteo
fight with House Representatives
over the definition of public low
rent housing-the only remaining
major issue-might result in death
for the bill when Congress quits.
Whether this course will be fol-
lowed appeared to depend on the
attitudes of Senators Wagner, DEM
ocrat, of New York and Taft, Re
publican, of Ohio, who are sponsor
ing a national housing bill and last
year took a personal interest in
the District measure. Some decision
was expected today.
One argument advanced for
enacting the House version of the
hospital center bill was that amend
ments to the law could be consid-
cred next year to provide necessary
Federal aid to other non-profit pri-
vate hospitals not covered in the
pending House measure.
AS reported to the House by the
District Committe, the hospital CEN
ter measure was broadened to raise
the total authorized Federal advance
to $35 100000 to permit so per cent
grants for remodeling or rebuilding
the plants of non-proflt hospitals
not participating directly in the
projected center. But this feature
was stricken from the bill by the
House after an extended floor bat
tie.
William R. Castle, president OF
Garfield Hospital, said he was de
lighted" over action by the House
in passing the hospital bill. He
hoped the Senate would approve the
measure as it now stands, instead Of
attempting to change it in the clos
ing session of Congress.
The financial arrangements of the
House bill, he said, were agreeable
to the Garfield Hospital manage.
ment and in line with the offer il
had advanced for some time. The
bill provides that all three partici.
pating institutions-Gar Emer.
gency and Episcopal Eye, Ear ane
Throat-shall turn over to the
Federal Government all theil
physical plants, or sell them anc
turn over the proceeds. This Woule
constitute the hospitals part toward
defraying the cost of the center
The remainder of the cost woulc
be split: 30 per cent by the District
government and 10 per cent by the
Federal Government.
Seen as More Favorable.
Such a plan, Mr.. Castle pointed
out, is preferable to that provided
in the original Tydings-Bilbo bill
as it passed the Senate. In thai
version, the hospitals would be re.
quired to pay back to the Fedora
Government one-third of the cos
over period of SO years with in.
tereSt at per cent.
The House bill provisions, Mr.
Castle said. not only would be bene
f1cial to the hospitals participating
but also to the patients who come
to the new center.
Instead of having to worry ovel
the next so years about amortizinl
the debt to the United States, Mr.
Castle pointed out, the hospitals
would not have to charge rates fol
hospital service sufficiently high tt
meet the debt and pay interest.
"1f we can do it this way" HI
pointed out, sit will help everybody
who goes to the hospitals"
The House version provides for s
smaller Federal payment than thu
Tydings-Bilbo bill. The amount O.
the Federal share in the center
would be curtailed, under the HOUSE
bill, by the amount now required tt
be paid by the District government
Under the Senate version the mum.
cipality would have made no pay.
ment.
Operation Undetermined.
The Federal works administrato
is authorized under the House bill
to provide a hospital center of sucl
size and design as he shall deen
feasible and economical If opera
tiOn "