Evening star., 1948-03-23
Courthouse Bill
Wins Approval
OF Committee
'EscoIotor'' Clause
Is DeIeted After
2-Duy House Hearing
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
The House Public Works Com
mittee today unanimously ap-
proved a bill to provide for early
construction Of q new Federal court
house here. -
Stricken from the bill after two
days of hearings was so-called
"escalator" clause which would have
provided that the limit of cost OF
the whole project may be adjusted
on the basis Of price levels prevail
ing on the date of the award of
the major construction contract"
One other minor amendment in
the bill provided that the District
should reimburse the Federal Gov
ernment for half Of the cost in equal
annual installments.
Bill Is Amended.
The committee struck from the
measure words which would have
allowed the city to repay its part of
the cost in "as nearly as possible
equal annual installments."
As amended, the bill authorizes
the Federal works administrator to
construct, equip and furnish a build
ing for the use of the Court of APP
peals and the District Court here.
The limit of cost for the entire
project, including the land, is fixed
at $18,665, 900.
The District would pay half the
cost Of the project, but would be
given credit of $2,420,000 as COM
pensation for the site, which belongs
to the city.
The site is on Constitution ave-
nue. between Third street and John
Marshall place NV, lot now be-
ing used for automobile parking.
Is Years to Pay Share.
The District Is given as years to
amortize its share of the cost. This
has ben estimated roughly as a
payment Of about 100000 each
year.
Chairman Dondero of the Public
Works Committee planned to in
troduce a revised bill and said he
hopes to have the new bill on the
House calendar soon and will ask
the Rules Committee for a special
rule. If permission is granted, Mr..
Dondero said, there would be good
prospect of bringing the measure up
for action soon.
During the final hearing on the
bill today, the committee heard six
witnesses indorse the measure. Only
one opposed it.
Opposition Expressed.
The opposition came from A. D.
Calvert, president of the Lincoln
Park Citizens Association. He told
the conamittee that his association
was On record as favoring+ better
police enforcement and efforts to
reduce crime In the Northeast sec
ton instead Of spending money for
a new courthouse.
Committee members engaged in
considerable discussion on the ef-
feet of the "escalator" clause. Harry
G. Hunter, assistant commissioner
Of public buildings, said 1t would
permit an increase in the limit of
cost If the construction market re-
quired 1t at the time contract
was let. But, he said, If the market
went down it would also enable the
Government to build the structure
for less than the limit of cost fixed
in the bill.
Clause Is Opposed.
District Commissioners Guy Ma
son and Gordon r. Young opposed
the clause as establishing a prece-
dent which might be relied on by
proponents of other projects in the
city.
The two Commissioners indorsed
the courthouse project, but said they
did not know where the money was
coming from to pay the annual
installments.
Bruce Baird, president of the
National Savings g. Trust Co.,
stressed the need for the courthouse.
He was spokesman for American
Bar Associations District of Column
bia Special Committee on Improving
the Administration of Justice.
Situation Called Critical.
"The situation is critical" Mr..
Baird testified. "An emergency
exists, and, in my humble opinion,
must be dealt with Immediately,
affecting, as 1t does, the interests
and welfare of our community and
of the Nation as well, because of the
unusually broad and varied jurisdic-
ton exercised by our courts. We
appeal for your help"
Chief Justice Bolitha j. Laws of
District Court participated in the
hearing. Statements favoring the
bill were filed by James c. Wilkes
of the District Bar Association,
George Morris Fay, United States
attorney; Matthew w. Bruce, United
States marshal, and John Danaher,
former United States Senator from
Connecticut.