Evening star., 1954-08-22
Sd Congress
Sets Record on
D. C.LegiisIation
Toxpoyers, Jobless
And Home-Owners
Are Benefited
BY Don S. Warren

BY Don S. Warren
Despite all the battles over
national and international issues.
the 83d Congress took time to
hammer out probably a record
breaking amount of important
District legislation, a survey
showed last night.
The session which ended Fri
day was, for the District,
ent-shattering one ncS
only in quantity Of city legis-
lation but also In its impact on
life in the Nations Capital.
Home-owners, taxpayers, corp
orations. the unemployed, mo-
torists. District Government en-
ployes, all were directly affected
by congressional chores in the
Districts behalf in the SD Con-
greSs.
The work Of this Congress
from the Districts viewpoint was
hailed last night by Commits
sioner Samuel Spencer as lone
of the most productive sessions
Of Congress for the District in
many years"
Good Team Work.
In his "Report IN the Peonle"
broadcast over Station WWDC,
Commissioner Spencer said the
considerable amount taccomp-
lshed" reflected the good team
work between the Senate and
House District Committees and
city officials.
He pointed out that legislators
had nothing to gain politically
by helping the District and he
extended personal thanks to the
two committee chairmen-Sena-
tor Case, Of South Dakota. and
Representative Simpson, of Illi-
noiS.
The list Of District bills, as
tabulated for the Senate by
Chairman Case, shows no less
than 10 Senate measures and
38 House-passed bills plus vari-
GUS other items brought to his
unit for action. eOf these 78
were approved-most Of the i'm
portant ones in the immediate
past session Of Congress.
This impressive batting aver
age, observers agreed, was
achieved through willingness of
the legislators to dig into their
work and to responsible mem
bers Of Washington's Congress
sional city council"
Commissioner Spencer cited
as the most important single
piece Of District legislation the
enactment of the $305 million
10-year public works authorize
tion and the revenue bill de-
signed to reverse a trend toward
physical decay and to give a
heroic boost to development
plans. Commissioner Spencer
predicts this measure will "go a
long way toward solving many
problems that have beset the
District for many years"
Congress authorized new and
increased city taxes and assess
ments amounting to about SIS
million and agreed that the Fed
eral payment should be increased
from $11 million to $40 million.
The funds to carry out the
commitment came a little later,
though it required some argu-
ment by friends Of. the District
in the House to nail down the
philosophy that a moral obli-
cation was involved. To get the
full $40 million Federal share,
District Committee leaders and
others had to beat an economy
move by the powerful House Ap-
preparations Committee.
Bridges Authorized.
Probably the No. 2 bill on the
list was the congressional au-
thorization to construct two new
bridges over the Potomac. One
was the generally approved
Washington bypass span from
a point in Maryland just below
the District boundary to Jones
Point south Of Alexandria at an
estimated cost Of nearly SIS mil
lion. not including approach
roads.
The other was the hotly con-
tested downtown Washington
span. A long battle between city
government officials and city
planners reached a sudden So
luton after Chairman Case per-
sonally pounded away through
weeks of private conferences to
get some reasonable compromise.
The compromise span, to be built
at q cost estimated at nearly $25
million, will cross the Potomac
upstream from Arlington Me-
mortal Bridge and south Of Roo
sevelt Memorial Island.
Two measures to encourage
urban renewal also won congress
sional approval. One gives the
city new powers to force owners
to Ak up or tear down buildings
condemned as insanitary. The
other wiped out an old law BAN
ming alley dwellings. This was
done because so many private
operators have remodeled and
improved alley dwellings and be-
cause of the city's newly granted