Evening star., 1946-07-07
Hospital Center,
SIun Clearance
Action Sought
Mcmillan to Open
Campaign in House
For Bills Passage

TOR DlIIS TuSSQ9e
A final drive for enactment of the
Districts hospital center and slum
redevelopment bills will be started
tomorrow morning by Chairman
Mcmillan of the House District
Committee.
He said yesterday he hopes both
bills. long ago passed by the Senate,
would be reported favorably at to-
morroW's special meeting of the
District Committee If there is no
hitch he will go promptly to tie
House for approval there.
Matching this activity in the pre-
adjournment rush, Acting Chairman
Hoey of the Senate District Com
mittee will ask Senate approval this
week OF bills granting school teach
ers and officers a fiat $3.50 pay
raise and authorizing construction
OF twin spans over the Potomac to
replace old Highway Bridge.
Bridge Bill Before Senate.
The bridge bill has been passed
by the House and now is before the
Senate without amendment. It's
approval there will send the measure
to the White House. The project
is estimated to cost between S7,OOO.-
900 and s9000,00O. to be divided
equally between District highway
funds and Federal road aid grants.
There has been no action as vet
on the House side on the teacher
pay bill, but this is expected to be
scheduled as soon as the Senate
has acted.
A major amendment to the slum
bill, which authorizes a 10-year
$20,000,000 program for redevelop-
ment of Washingtons "blighted"
areas, has been proposed by the
McGehee subcommittee of the House
District Committee. This change in
the Senate bill is designed to re-
strict the amount of low rent hous-
ing which may be constructed by
a public agency-the National
Capital Housing Authority.
Amendment Under Fire.
! This proposed amendment to the
definition of public low rent hous-
ing" has been assailed by numerous
civic, planning and labor groups and
supported by private building in
tereStS.
In view Of the stand taken by
majority of the McGehee Subcom-
mlttee, there were suggestions yes
terday the House Committee may
move to send the McGehee version
Of the bill to the House and then to
, conference with the Senate, in the
interest of speedy action. One men,
Der said yesterday it might be easier
to work out the definition in con-
ference than on the House floor.
The hospital bill proposes Fed
, eral aid in the construction of a
l,50o-bed hospital center here to bs
, used by three or more of the larger
nonproflt private hospitals. Spon-
, sored in the Senate by Senator Ty-
! dlngs, Democrat, of Maryland, and
/ by Chairman Bilbo of the Senate
, District Committee. it has won
strong support in the House Dis
trlct Committee. Left unsettled
when last considered by the COM
mittee were details of the financial
plan.
Action on both the slum and hos
pltal bills were postponed a month
ago to await the return to Wash
+ ington of Mr.. McGehee. Decisive
action on both measures had been
promised at a meeting scheduled
for last Saturday. When Mr.. Nc.
Gehee notified Chairman Mcmillan
! he could not attend that session
, the latter rescheduled the session
for tomorrow morning and an
nounced he would seek to have both
bills reported at that time.
Senate to Act on Judges.
A session of the Senate District
f Committee has been tentatively
scheduled for some day this week
, by Acting Chairman Hoey. He said
, he wanted to get action on legisla
; ton authorizing appointment OF
J three additional judges on the Mu.
nicipal Court.
, Bills for this purpose have beer
. proposed by Senator Johnston
o Democrat. of South Carolina, anc
. Senator McCarran, Democrat, o.
Nevada. The latter's measure while
o raising the number of judges from
10 to l3 would permit no more thar
two to be named from outside O.
Washington. The Johnston bill
would permit four instead of twt
nonresident judges. Also, the Nc
| Carran bill would require that can
didates for the municipal bench b,
IS engaged in the previous five year
e in private law practice here, de
: voting most of their time and re
ceiving most of their occupation In
I come from such private law prac
e tice.
e Senator McCarran may move il
the Senate this week for passag
j. of his bill to create a charter com
j. mission to draft a council-manage
e form of government for the Dis
v trict. 1t has been blocked twice
= when unanimous consent was asket
% for its consideration.
"