Evening star., 1954-05-20
Wilson Reacts
Fdvordb|y 10
House Group Gets
Request for Two
Additional Branches
By Harold B. Rogers
By Harold B. Rooers

WI uCW VI IdIlCIlcS pTOpOSGQ
for the District Public Library
here under the city'S new long
range construction law received
a favorable reception today by
Chairman Wilson of the House
Appropriations Subcomm It tee
handling the District budget.
Mr.. Wilson, Republican, of In
diana. after hearing testimony
from library officials at a closed
door session of his subcommittee.
said he felt personally that the
city's whole public works pro-
gram was 'long overdue"
He pointed to the two library
projects for Anacostia and
Woodbridge areas as a good illus
tration of much needed improve
ments under the new revenue
law recently signed by the Presi-
dent.
Peterson Makes Request.
The request for appropriations
in next years city supply bill
was placed before the Wilson
unit this morning by Harry N.
Peterson, librarian of the Public
Library. He asked congressional
approval of $315,000 for plans
and construction of the proposed
branch library building at a site
already available at Eighteenth
street and Good Hope road, Ana
costa.
For plans and specifications
only for the new Woodbridge
building at Eighteenth and Ham
lin streets NE, the librarian
asked for $21. $50. For construc-
ton, the library plans to ask
next year for an appropriation
of $3O5,OOO.
Chairman Wilson, who said
he now lives in the Southeast
section OF the city, said this
area is in need of another library
building. The population in that
area, he said, has increased from
$4,000 to 100000 in the last 10
years.
The librarian also requested
an item of $1,611 900 for opera
ton of the public library system.
This fund would include money
for a full staff at the Cleveland
Park branch, and second book
mobile.
The library capital outlay
projects were the first items to
be reached by the Wilson sub
committee under the. $305 mil
lion 1O-year, public works pro-
gram.
Others will be presented later
as the Wilson unit proceeds with
its hearings on the supply bill
for next year.
The subcommittee apparently
gave a somewhat less friendly
reception to the requests for
funds to finance the District
Civil Defense program.
Col. John E. Fondahl, director
OF the Office of Civil Defense,
asked for $208,0O at the hearing
this morning. Mr.. Wilson indi-
Gated his group probably would
not favor such a sum at this
time.
Mr.. Wilson recalled that last
year the committee considered a
request for District Civil Defense
of 100000 but the House cut it
to $4,000. Later he said the
Senate approved 100000 and
Congress finally agreed to $780,
600.
Calls Picture Fluid.
Indicating he felt the whole
civil defense picture was in a
fluid condition, what with the
atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb,
Mr.. Wilson said he felt sure the
House felt now just about the
same at it did last year on civil
defense money.
Things are changing so rap
idly. the legislator said, that too
much advance in planning in
civil defense might result in dis
pensing wrong information to
the public.
Witnesses at this afternoons
hearing behind closed doors were
to include spokesmen for the
city'S recreation system.
Among others who testified be-
fore the Wilson subcommittee
this morning on their estimates
for next year were Chief Judge
Nathan Cayton, Municipal Court
of Appeals; Chief Judge Leonard
P. Walsh of Municipal Court;
Judge Edith H. Cockrill of Juve-
nile Court; Judge 10 v. Morgan
of the District Tax Court, and
Waldron E. Leonard, director of
tho nictriot Voforonc1 CaTvico