Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-19
House Debate
due Monday on
DC. Works Bill
Rules Group Sends
Measure to Floor for
2-Hour Argument
By Harold B. Rogers

= AAO AANCAoO 4eAASo SOAAAAIAiGLSo
today sent the Districts Public
works bill to the House floor for
action Monday under a rule lin
iting debate to two hours.
The committee acted after
hearing requests from House
District Committee leaders for
the so-called "closed rule" I'm
der this rule, which first must be
adopted by the House, no new
amendments could be offered to
the bill from the floor. The only
amendments permitted would be
those already approved by the
House District Committee.
At the end of debate one mo-
ton would be permitted to re-
commit the bill to the District
Committee with or without in
structions to change it.
Closed Rule Advocated.
The closed rule is exactly the
one under which the House
yesterday operated and finally
passed the big tax revision bill
and sent it to the Senate.
The rule was requested for
the District bill during the hear
ing this morning because the
measure is a tax bill and because
it was pointed out that to open
such revenue measure to
amendments on the House floor
would be impractical.
Chairman Simpson of the
House District Committee told
the Rules Committee that his
unit was unanimous in request
ing the closed rule. He said one
reason for having the House act
without amendments was that
when the bill goes to the Senate
where they have no such proce-
dure to limit amendments, the
Senate could throw it wide
open"
O'Hara Explains Financing.
Representative O'Hara. Re-
publican of Minnesota, explained
the provisions of the bill as a
$305 million 10-year long-range
program to finance badly needed
District public works.
In reply to several questions by
Rules Committee members, he
explained the various tax in
creases laid upon District resi-
dents and businesses totaling
about SIS million a year.
He outlined the proposed SO
million increases in the annual
Federal payment to the District
bringing the payment up to $40
million year.
Acting Rules Committee Chair
man Brown. Republican of Ohio.
asked about how much of the
increased income provided would
go toward actual construction.
Representative Harris. Demo-
crat. of Arkansas. explained that
the bill earmarked SIS million
out of the proposed increased
Federal payment for actual con-
struction, provided this ear
marked money were matched by
District funds. He also explained
that specific increases for and
levies for the use of water and
sewers and highways would all
go direct toward improvements
in those categories.
Smith Backs Closed Rule.
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat, of Virginia. member of the
Rules Committee, strongly urged
the granting of a rule on the
bill.
AS a member of the House
District FiScaf subcommittee.
which handled the city tax meas
ure through long hearings and
lengthy consideration. Mr.. Smith
said this was the best we could
do"
He said that the hearings were
lengthy in considering the meas
ure proposed by the District
Commissioners.
But he said the joint fiscal
subcommittee of both the House
and Senate District Committees
had added more taxes on the
city than the Commissioners had
recommended.
Congress would not stand for
> the Commissioners bill. Mr..
Smith told the Rules Commit
tee, unless I'VE raise more taxes.
So we gave everybody a small
increase"
Warns on Amendments.
$ Warning against opening the
| bill to amendments from the
House floor. the Virginia legis-
} lator said: If they go to fooling
> (See WORKS, Page A-1OD