Evening star., 1950-04-23
Action in House
On New Airport
Due This Week
Subcommittee Sets
Tuesdopfor Study Of
Senate Backed Plan
By Don S. Warren

a mouse subcommittee may start
the ball rolling this week on legis-
lation for second major airport
for the Capital-already approved
unanimously by the Senate.
The subject is one of a number
to be taken up Tuesday morning
by the transportation subcommit-
tee of the House Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee.
Representative Beckworth. Demo-
crat, of Texas, subcommittee
chairman, said the group very
soon" would check the airport sit
uation.
One question expected to come
up at the Tuesday meeting is
whether House hearings should
be ordered on the bill, and when
they should be started.
Says Need Is Tremendous.
The measure already has many
friends on the House side, it was
reported yesterday by Representa-
tive Harris, Democrat, of Arkan-
sas, author of a bill similar to the
one passed by the Senate.
There is a tremendous need
for the additional airport here,"I
Mr.. Harris said, land from all the
information I have received from
any one who has given any study
to the problem of the crowded
National Airport is in favor of the
new project"
The Senate-passed bill was
sponsored more than year ago
by Chairman johnson of the
Senate Commerce Committee. Ac-
ton was stepped up after the
airliner disaster at the Washing
ton Airport last November which
took the lives Of SIS passengers.
In recommending construction
Of a second airport estimated to
cost about $14 million. the Senate
Committee and the Commerce
Department agreed that the
present Washington airfield had
about reached it's traffic satura-
ton point and would be unable
to handle 40 per cent increase
expected by 1855.
Bridge Site Hearings Set.
This is but one of many mat
ters important to Washington to
be considered on the Hill this
week.
Open hearings on the Senate
side are to be started Friday
morning on the administrative
battle over the best site for the
projected next bridge over the
Anacostia river. These will be held
before the fiscal subcommittee of
the Senate District Committee
headed by Senator Hunt. Demo-
crat. of Wyoming.
Witnesses are to include spokes-
men for the District Commission
ers and other groups favoring the
East Capitol street site as we'll as
representatives of the Park and
Planning Commission and other
advocates of a span farther down.
stream on the line of Massachu-
sets avenue Sc.
A full meeting of the Senate
District Committee has been
scheduled for 10:30 am. Tuesday
to consider half a dozen bills or
more on it's calendar.
Continuation of the child day
care centers. which has been un-
der serious but somewhat fruitless
study by administrative and civic
groups recently, is one issue to be
taken up. This has been de-
scribed as stepchild of the city
government that no city agency
really wants. Yet there are argu-
ments that the service is needed
to provide care for the children of
v9rAing mothers.
S5sA latest thought was that the
Health Department might take
over the operation of the centers
under continuation of the $780,
900 District grant. but. there was
no enthusiasm for this from city
officials.
Among other measures that
might be brought up Tuesday
were those to grant members of
the Fire Department a five-day.
60-hour workweek; to make can
Ger a reportable disease; to au-
thorize District authorities to
bring about gradual reduction in
the number of taxicabs licensed
to operate in the District. and to
amend the charter of the Presby-
terian Congregation of George
town as to the time of the election
Of its trustees and the amount of
property the church might hold.
Georgetown Preservation Up.
Among other legislation to be
taken up is the bill to buy the
Old Stone House in Georgetown
at 3051 M street NV, to preserve
1t as a historic monument. This
is to be considered by subcom-
mittee of the House Public Lands
Committee Thursday.
During the week, the Ellender
subcommittee of the Senate APP
preparations Committee will re-
sumo it's consideration proposals
for an additional Senate Office
Building and counter proposals
for extending the east front of
the Capitol. Senator Ellender
has suggested it might be more
economical to remodel the Capitol
than to erect a new Senate Office
building. Most Senators have
agreed, however. there is need
for more working space for Sena-
tors, their staffs and committees.
De-. 1.k IL