Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-28
ID. Works Bill
Due This Week
lin the Senate
Further Changes
Moy Be Made in
Revenue Measure
BY Harold B. ROGERS

~ HoTOsO o. NO9eTS
The Districts public works bill
Is expected to reach the Senate
floor sometime this week, prob
ably amended in several particu-
lars from the version already
passed by the House.
The revenue measure, raising
funds for the long-range $305
million works improvement pro-
gram, already has been changed
somewhat by a Senate District
subcommittee. 1t will come up
before the full Senate District
Committee at II am. Thursday
for action.
The bill may face further
changes in the District COM
mittee. Some m m bers are
strongly opposed to the ] per
cent tax on all groceries. esti-
mated to raise $3.5 million. But
if this should be knocked out of
the measure, or reduced. the
committee would be up against
the problem of raising the same
annual sum by some other local
taxes.
Other Bills on Docket.
Also believed to be subject for
discussion in the District COM
mittee is the $l.75-a-barrel tax
on beer. This figure, fixed by the
Senate District Fiscal subcom-
mittee, compares with $3.50 ap-
proved by the House, and the
present levy of 81 a barrel.
The Senate District Commit
tee probably will devote its full
time at the Thursday session to
the public works bill. But there
are several other District bills
already approved by subcom-
mittees which could come UP
for consideration if there is time.
The public works measure car
ries an increase of 50 million
in the Federal payment to city
costs. raising this to $40 million
year. and about SIS million in
increased or new taxes on city
residents and businesses. Federal
loans for highway, water and
sewer development are also au-
thorized.
The new levies would become
effective after Congress passes
the bill and the President signs
1t.
But the Federal payment and
funds to be spent on specific
public works would have to be
approved by Congress in the
city's annual supply bill for next
fiscal year before becoming eff
fective.
The District budget for fiscal
year beginning next July is
before a House appropriations
subcommittee. Hearings on it
are expected to start sometime
early in May.
Bridges Quiz Slated.
Congressional hearings on the
long controversy over Potomac
River bridges will be resumed
before House District subcom-
mittee Tuesday and Wednesday.
Principal subject will be bill
authorizing river span from
Reaches Run in Virginia. over
East Potomac Park and into
Southwest Washington.
Spokesman for the National
Capital Planning Commission
will be lead-off witnesses to
champion the measure. Headed
by Commission Chairman Har-
land Bartholomew, they plan to
tell the subcommittee such
site would best serve both Wash
ington and Virginia, and would
be physically more practical than
another site known as E street.
The E street location would
put a bridge over the river
downstream of the Key Bridge.
crossing Theodore Roosevelt Is
land. Although testimony on
the E street bridge already has
been heard at length by the
subcommittee headed by Repre-
sentative Kearns, Republican. of
Pennsylvania, it was believed
consideration would be given to
a new proposal about the E
street project. This involves a
plan to build bridge across the
water on either side of Roosevelt
Island, but tunnel through the
island itself.
Prentiss to Appear.
Testimony both for and against
the Reaches Run site is ex-
pected to be aired. District Of
ficials have opposed the Reaches
Run site. and are expected to
put their opposition into the
subcommittee record, District
spokesman, who favor the E
street site, will be headed by
Brig. Gen. Louis w. PrentisS.
Engineer Commissioner.
Other witnesses will include
spokesman for the Northern Vir-
ginia Regional Planning Coun-
Gil. the United States Bureau
of Public Roads and the Dis
trict Re developm mt Land
Agency.
Meantime, the Budget Bureau
has raised objection to legisla-
ton proposing a new method of
paying for a grade separation
to carry New York avenue ex-
tended over a railroad track IN
Northeast Washington. The
project costing $950,000, already
under way near South Dakota
avenue NE, is to carry traffic
between the new Washington
Baltimore parkway and the city's
road system.
Objection by the Budget Blu
reau was registered in a letter