Evening star., 1954-06-22
Budget Hearing
Gets Pleas for
Fund Boosts
Protest Made on
Plan for c. St. Sc.
To Be Major Artery

witnesses today to wind up Sem
ate subcommittee hearings on
the Districts record-breaking
$1707 million budget.
Liberalization of spending pro-
grams were asked for in various
services. including schools and
welfare.
Special stress was placed on
the need for expansion of the
Districts civil defense program
and for extension of the auto
mobile training program in the
high schools.
Perhaps the sharpest debate
developed over the proposals of
District Highway Director j. N.
Robertson to develop c street
Sc. into a major traffic artery
leading to the East Capitol street
bridge.
Road Project Opposed.
Victor M. Brennan. represent
ing the Capitol Hill Southeast
Citizens Association, and Donald
Montgomery. 203 C street Sc.
led a delegation denouncing the
road project as one that would
wreck property values in the
Capitol Hill area.
They protested such a through
road would hamper the restora-
ton of old houses near the
Capitol.
Senator Dirksen, Republican,
of Illinois, chairman of the sub.
committee in charge of the sup
ply bill, directed the subcommit-
tee staff to ascertain the status
Of the c street project.
Speaking for an outlay of $35.-
600 for the high school driving
courses were representatives Of
the Commissioners Traffic Ad-
viSory Board, the American Au-
tomobile Association. the Key
stone Automobile Club and
others.
Witnesses included Mrs. George
c. Thorpe, Mrs. Harvey w.
Wiley and Washington 1. Cleve-
land speaking for the American
Automobile Association; A. Julian
BrylawSki and Nathan Lubar OF
the Traffic Board and Ernest r.
Brent for the Keystone Club.
Used in Nine Schools.
Mrs. Thorpe said the full fund
was needed so that the training
program. now used in nine high
schools, could be extended to all
16. One proof of the value of
driving training, she said, is to
be noted in the fact that insur-
ance companies charge a lower
premium if the policy is taken
out by trained high school
drivers.
Senator Beall, Republican. Of
Maryland. who was in charge OF
the hearings part of the day,
spoke up to declare that he per-
sonally would vote for the full
sum. He recalled that some years
ago, when a member of the
House, he sponsored legislation
to authorize the driver-training
courses.
Senator Dirksen promised wit
neSSes that serious attention
would be given their demands for
more money for civil defense.
The Commissioners had asked
for $2O8,0OO. as against 100000
appropriated for the present fis-
cal year. The House slashed the
request to $4,000. In the Senate
hearings, the city heads are ask
ing restoration of the full $208,-
900.
Witnesses supporting the res
toration included Robert E..
Stein, an air raid warden; Mrs.
Sterling McKittrick, Herbert P.
Leeman of the Commissioners
Advisory Council, and George
A. Berger of the Arkansas Ave-
nue. Community Association.
Representatives of the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations
submitted a relatively brief list
of appropriation requests.
Burden on Citizens.
Mrs. Henry A. Bartlett. newly
elected president. asked that
something be done in budget re-
ports to make it clear that Dis
trict residents carry most of the
burden of financing the city. She
said there was a general miscon-
ception among people in the
States that the Federal Govern
ment supports the District be-
(See BUDGET, Page A-20