Evening star., 1955-06-11
Stennis Seeks
Decision on
Bridge Issue
Wants Commitment
On Tunnel for
Potomac Crossing

ate District Appropriations sub
committee will prod the admin
istration first thing next week II
try to get a decision on whethel
the Constitution avenue cross
ing of the Potomac River shoult
be a bridge or a tunnel.
The Mississippi Democrat, VIII,
has been conducting the city
appropriations hearings for tn,
last three days, announced thi
intention late yesterday at tn,
close Of the public sessions.
Before this committee start
marking up the appropriation
bill. ] am going to communicate
with the Federal Budget Burea,
for some definite position on thi
question" Senator Stennis said
The Potomac crossing issue ha
been up in the air for severa
months, although Congress, las
session. authorized construction
of a bridge at the site in tn,
vicinity of Lincoln Memorial.
ID. C. Favors Bridge
District government officials
favor a bridge. National Capt.
tai Planning Commission will
accept either bridge or tunnel
Other branches of the Interior
Department--notably the Fine
Arts Commission and National
Capital Parks-want a tunnel SO
that the vista around Lincoln
Memorial won't be intrude6
upon.
The $50 million additional cost
of tunnel would be borne by
the Federal Government under
the tunnel advocates plan.
The District Highway Depart
ment has been appropriated
planning money for a bridge.
Department requests for SIS
million to begin construction
during the year beginning July
l were cut out by the House
because OF agency disagreement
over tunnel VS.. bridge.
Last Thursday. Senator STEM
mis- expressed surprise that the
controversy had yet to be re-
solved. Moreover, he seemed in
clined toward a bridge when
during the testimony of High.
way Director John N. Robertson
he exclaimed, That's right
make it a nice pretty, attrac.
tive bridge like the one you
have there now"
Would Speed Bill.
The need for getting a final
decision Immediately stems from
the fact that the Senate SUBJ
committee hopes to get the ap-
preparations bill marked up
presumably with many of the
House cuts restored-by Wednes.
day, before the full Appropria-
tions Committee by Friday ano
on the Senate floor the follow
ing Monday.
Asked about his impressions
Of the hearings. which yester-
day featured the views of the
general citizenry, the Mississip-
plan made this observation:
There seems to be a great
lack of school and recreation
facilities, especially faculty men,
bers for the schools in fields like
teaching retarded children.
He seemed particularly con-
cerned over the retarded chill
dren problem.
Special instruction for these
children is not only for their
benefit but for the benefit of
the n-retarded-it works two
ways the Senator said. Recall
ing testimony that there are an
estimated 1000 such pupils in
the public schools today, SEN
ator StenniS said he is afraid
there are more of these chill
dren than we think there are"
Favors Certain Projects
During the hearing. the chair
man took a stand even on spe-
cific projects.
One witness asked for funds
to improve a recreation area in
the congested Ivy City-Trinidad
section.
Put me down in favor of that
right now," the Senator said.
He also reacted with forth
right sympathy to a plea on be-
half of stand operators in the
Eastern Market to restore
maintenance funds so the mar
ket may continue to survive.
Prompts Western Market
"The way it looks to me, we
ought to save this thing" the
Senator said. WED be putting
a.group of little businessmen out
of business If we followed the
House"
He recalled that only recently
he visited one of the areas few
remaining market places because
he felt in a mood for some "old.
fashioned jelly"
And / found it there. too," he
added with broad smile.
Senator Stennis urged the stall
operators of Western Market
which also faces extinction, "tc
get something in here for the
subcommittee to consider"
The pervading theme of the
witnesses generally was for res
toration of the $4 million the
House cut from the authorized
$40 million Federal payment to-
ward expenses of the Nations
Capital.
The subcommittee chairman
appeared sympathetic to those
pleas, too-with the understand
ing that local taxpayers be will
ing to pay still higher taxes for
their own part.
Washington Wins