Evening star., 1954-06-02
St. EIizabeths
Amortization
Plan Disclosed
D. C. Would Be Given
40 Years to Poy Port
Of Building Costs
Rv Anrold r Pnoape
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
The District would be given
up to 40 years to pay its propor-
tionate share of the cost of con-
structing new buildings and
making major repairs at st.
Elizabeths Hospital, according to
a proposal under consideration
by Congressional appropriation
committees.
Such a plan for amortization
Of the city's share of the build
ing program would carry also
q provision for the District to
pay interest on the unpaid por-
ton.
This was learned today as the
transcript of recent House hear
ingS on st. ElizabethS' next an
nual budget was made public.
Officials of st. Elizabeths Hos
pital and the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare.
in charge of the institution, ex-
planned to a House Appropria-
ton subcommittee April % that
conferences had been held on
the matter with the District
Commissioners and the Bureau
of the Budget. But at that time
no final language had been
agreed upon to put the plan
into effect.
Unit to Cost SIS Million
Since then the same officials
have testified before a Senate
Appropriations subcommittee,
and the new language proposing
the basis for contracts has been
presented to both the House and
Senate subcommittee.
Biggest cost facing st. Eliza
bethS and the District is the pro-
posed SIS million maximum Sc
curity building.
This new structure was not
listed in the budget for st. Eliza
beths, sent to Congress in Janu-
ary. But it is understood to be
under consideration now by the
House subcommittee.
Subcommittee Chairman Bus
bey, Republican, Of Illinois, said
during the hearings: "As one
member of the committee, I wish
to say that I am very much
aware Of the necessity of getting
this building started as soon as
possible, and I do hope that the
details can be worked out in
time so that this committee can
consider the request when we re-
port the bill to the full commit
tee, and, in turn, to the House
of Representatives"
Mr.. BuSbey said he was stand
ing by the action Of the commit
tee last year regarding the f1nan-
cial responsibility of the District
in connection with any capital
improvements"
DC. Pays for Indigents.
In its report last year, the Bus
hey unit strongly recommended
the District should pay its pro-
portionate cost of capital i'm
provementS at St. ElizabethS,
and called on officials to work
out a plan. About three-fourths
Of the hospitals patients are
indigents for whom the District
pays.
DR.. Winfred Overholser, hos
pital superintendent, and James
F. Kelly. HEW budget officer,
outlined progress being made on
the program for coSt-sharing at
the time of the April hearings.
Mr.. Kelly told the subcommit-
tee the plan then pending "oper-
ates on a basis of amortization of
the buildings, rather than cash
capital outlay, and this recog-
nizes the financial plight of the
District and the impact of put
ting up approximately $6 million
In one year for the construction
Of facilities"
DR.. OverholSer testified that
the request for major repairs
totals 100000 outside of the
security building. Largest of
these repairs, he explained is
$500, 900 for rehabilitation of the
coal handling system which had
been seriously damaged by fires.
The fires occurred over a period
Of several months, DR.. Over
holser explained last night. AL
though not of a sensational ma
ture, they involved the con-
sumption of soft coal in three
"Silos," in which the coal was
stored. BY a chain-bucket
method, they conveyed the coal
to cranes, which then moved
It to automatic stokers.
SiIOs Cracked.
The fires were of o smoldering
nature, in which heat cracked
the silos, which are now useless,
DR.. Overholser said. They are
being torn down.
A new-type system is planned,
he added.
The House appropriations
subcommittee is expected to act
on the big supply bill for the
two departmentS-Labor. and
Health, Education and Welfare
within q few days, and send its
recommendations to the full ap-
preparations COMMITTEES.
The Busbey subcommittee also
heard testimony on the budgets
Of the Columbia Institution for
the Deaf, Howard University and
Freedmen's Hospital.