Evening star., 1953-04-17
HouseCuts Out
Funds 10 Build
Center
Committee Promises
Thut Action Won't
Delay Project
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
The House Appropriations
Committee today killed SO
million estimate for construction
Of the Washington Hospital
Center with a promise that this
would not delay progress of the
big building project.
The committee sent the Inde-
pendent Offices Appropriation
bill for next year to the House
floor for action without a cent
of funds for the center.
Despite the committees prom
Use in its report on the bill that
there would be no delay in the
project, a hospital center spokes-
man today announced he would
make an urgent appeal to the
Senate for restoration of ST. mil
lion for the purpose.
To Seek Restoration.
Charles S. Dewey, president
OF the center, said he had al
ready asked to appear on or
about April % before a Senate
Appropriations subcommittee to
ask for the restoration.
Mr.. Dewey said he regards the
81 million item as the minimum
fund that should be appropri-
ated. Otherwise, he said, there
will be definite slowing up of
progress on the much-delayed
project.
Mr.. Dewey, a former Repub-
lican member of the House and
former Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury, said he had agreed
earlier to a So million cut in the
So million estimate in the in
terest of helping to balance the
Federal budget. The Budget Bu-
reau had agreed to this, he ex-
planned, but later approved
withdrawal of the last 81 million.
Assured by GSA.
The Appropriations Committee
in it's report today pointed out
that it had been advised by Gen.
eral Services Administration that
withdrawal of the entire esti-
mate would not of itself cause
a delay in the progress of the
project"
The prediction that no delay
would be caused by striking the
money came to the committee in
a letter by Acting Administrator
Russell Forbes of GSA, in charge
Of the construction project.
The 800-bed hospital center
authorized by Congress is to rise
on the Soldiers Home grounds.
1t will include Emergency, Gar
field and Episcopal Hospitals.
Fund Cut Explained.
The story of how the SO million
item was whitfield down and
finally eliminated by the ad-
mlniStration was revealed today
as the subcommittee made pub
lie the text of its recent executive
hearings.
In notifying Chairman Phillips
of the subcommittee that the es-
innate was completely with
drawn, Mr.. Forbes said:
II want to make it clear that
the withdrawal of the estimate
will not of itself cause a delay
in the progress of the project,
and that it is our intent to pro-
ceed with the design and con-
struction as rapidly as circum-
stances permit.
Expenditures which could
have been made from the 81 mil
lion for 1854 (fiscal year," he
promised, will of course be cov-
cred in a budget estimate to be
submitted for 1885,"
During the hearings last month,
Mr.. Dewey had expressed alarm
as to the future of the Hospital
Center If progress was post
poned or stopped.
He told the subcommittee: II
have told Director Dodge of the
Bureau of the Budget we will do
anything but postpone. A post
ponement at this time, doing
nothing, stopping all construc-
tion, all further work, would
completely stop all possibilities,
so far as I can see, of ever hav-
ing this hospital center"
He pointed out difficulties that
had delayed the project. The
original site, on the Naval OBJ
servatory Grounds on Massachu-
sets avenue NV, had been
shifted to the Soldiers Home.
He told the subcommittee it had
been a difficult thing" to bring
together all three hospitals with
their complicated points of view
and the loyalties of the doctors
and nurses of each one" He said
the first 81 million cut was
Severe" and added "the mini
mum we could cut to would be
81 million"
Funds Held Ample.
The final cut was made, it was
learned today, after GSA had
made a re-examination of the
progress so far and schedules for
work. GSA determined there