Evening star., 1951-10-14
Home Rule Bill
|AndHospitaIAid
Action Pressed
Mcfarland Hopes
For Vote in Senote
Eurly This Week
By Horold B. Rogers

.H
EorIy This Week
By Harold B. Rogers
Senate Majority Leader McFHar-
and definitely hopes to call up for
action before Congress adjourns
bills for Washington
home rule and federal grants to
private hospitals here.
Announcing this at a press con-
ference last night. the Arizona
Democrat emphasized however
that final action by the Senate on
these measures depended entirely
on how much time national legis-
lation will require.
Both measures will be strongly
by Senator Johnson, Dem
ocrat, Of South Carolina.
The home rule bill for a limited
form of self-government here has
been approved by the Senate Dis
trict Committee. and if passed by
the chamber would go to the
House.
Would Go To White House.
The House passed legislation
for federal grants to non-profit
hospitals here would go to the
White House if passed by the
Senate.
Senator Mcfarland, going over
the program of must legislation
facing Congress as it drives to-
ward possible adjournment this
week, explained that the pending
business before the Senate Mon
day noon will be a railroad re-
tirement bill.
If this measure can be disposed
OF before any of the Federal ap-
preparation measures or the big
tax bill come up for action on
the floor, the majority leader said
he intends to call up the home
rule measure. Many urgent re-
quests have reached him recently
to bring this measure before the
chamber for debate and action.
Asked about the hospital bill,
Senator Mcfarland said he had
received a message from House
Majority Leader Mccormack, who
is anxious" to have the measure
acted on by the Senate.
Recalls Senator's Pleas.
Furthermore, the Senator re-
called debate on the Senate floor
last week when at least three
Senators pleaded for action on the
measure before Congress quits.
The Senators who requested ac-
tion, after the bill was objected
to by Senator Johnston, were
Pastore of Rhode Island, McMa.
mahon of Connecticut, and Nc
Carran of Nevada. all Democrats.
In view of the fact that the Sem
ate may not get any national ap-
preparation or tax bills to act on
until Tuesday. maybe Wednesday.
there is an outside chance that
both home rule and hospital leg
islation for Washington might
come up for debate early this
week.
Senator Johnston reiterated last
night his strong opposition to the
hospital bill and said he would
make a fight against it because.
in his opinion. it violates the Con-
stitutional provision for separa-
ton of church and state.
He opposed the measure, he ex-
planned. because it would provide
for direct grants to religious hos
pitalS.
Two Religious Hospitals.
Pointing out that the measure
would advance Federal funds to
institutions here outside the
Washington Hospital Center. he
emphasized there was a difference
between appropriations for the
center as a combination of three
or more hospitals. and to indiv-
ual hospitals. The center now is
to include Emergency. Garfield.
and Episcopal Hospitals, to be
built on the Soldiers Home
grounds, with funds already ap-
propriated.
Among the private, nonprofit
institutions which would benefit
under the pending legislation be-
fore the Senate, he said, were
Providence, a Catholic inStitu-
ton; Children's Hospital; Homeo-
pathic Hospital. and Sibley, a
Methodist institution.
Declaring he had graduated
from a Methodist college. Senator
johnson said he nevertheless op-
poses the measure which would
give direct Federal help to Metho-
dist, Catholic, or other religious
hospitals on the principle there
should be no mixing of church and
state.
Meeting on Beck Nomination.
Another possible problem for the
Senate may be the Presidents
nomination of Earl Wayne Beck,
a Kansas City friend of the chief
executive, to be Recorder of Deeds
here. The nomination may be
sent to the floor this week with
an adverse report from the Sem
ate District Committee.
A majority of the District Com
mittee already has indicated op-
position to the nomination, after
a recent public hearing. Demo-
Gratis on the committee, it was
learned, have been importuned by
the White House. in personal mes
sages, to reconsider and support
the Presidents choice.
A special meeting of the COM
mittee probably will be called
early this week to act on the NOM
|ination, but indications point to-
ward an adverse report.
One major objection to the
l.