Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-10
Senate Group
OKs Transfer
Of Jurisdiction
BY HAROLD B. ROGERS

Legislation to break the log
Jam holding up funds for the
Jones Point Bridge was ready
today for approval by the Sem
ate District Committee.
Sent to the District unit yes
terday by its fiscal subcommit-
tee, the measure would transfer
from the Interior Department
to the Commerce Department
the job of building the Potomac
River span from Alexandria to
Maryland's shore.
The transfer bill had been re-
quested by Chairman Hayden Of
the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee so that funds for build
ing the bridge could be inserted
in the annual appropriation bill
for the Commerce Department
Bureau of Public Roads. This
Bureau already is planning the
river crossing under an arrange
ment with the Interior Depart
ment'S National Park Service.
S13.S Million Estimate
Meantime. it was learned the
budget officer of the Commerce
Department, at the request of a
Senate Appropriations subcom-
Imittee, has submitted to the
Bureau of the Budget an esti-
mate of about $13.8 million for
construction of the bridge.
He indicated that the Budget
Bureau probably will send the
estimate to Congress soon SO that
the money can be inserted in
the Commerce Department bill
for the Bureau of Public Roads
to use.
This construction money had
been stricken from an appropria-
ton bill by the House because
the bill transferring jurisdic-
ton from Interior to the Com
'merce Department was pending.
Recently during a hearing on
the Commerce Department an
nual appropriation bill. Subcom-
mittee Chairman Holland, Demo-
crat of Florida. had requested
that a supplemental estimate be
set as soon as possible to his
committee so that it might be
possible to include it in the Com
merce Department supply meas
ure.
Bill Strongly Supported
The subcommittee of the SEN
ate District Committee, headed
by Acting Chairman Beall, Re-
publican of Maryland. acted
yesterday after a brief hearing
on the transfer legislation.
The bill was strongly support
led by Representative Broyhill.
Republican of Virginia, officials
lof the Bureau of Public Roads,
the District Commissioners rep
resented by Irving Bryan, as
sistant corporation counsel; of
f1cials of the District Department
iof Highways and leaders of the
city government of Alexandria
and four Alexandria organiza-
tions.
Three Alexandria witnesses
requested the subcommittee to
add one more street to the list
of streets in he bill which would
be exempted from any approach
roads on the Virginia side Of
the bridge.
They wanted Union street
barred from any approach to the
bridge. But after the hearing,
spokesman for the Bureau Of
Public Roads explained that they
are already drafting plans for
approaches to the bridge and
they do not intend to use any
of the streets east of Washing
ton street in Alexandria for such
approaches.
Each Pay One Third
Harold j. Spelman. division
engineer of the Public Roads
Bureau. explained that the Bu-
.reau had obtained promises from
both Maryland and Virginia that
each would pay one-third of the
cost OF maintenance and opera
ton if the District of Columbia
would pay for the other third.
The bridge will cross over a
small section of water under
jurisdiction of the District Of
Columbia.
The District Commissioners.
however, have ecided they
would prefer to have the House.
passed bill approved as is, cau-
ing for the cost of maintenance
and operation to be borne by the
two States.
In acting on the bill, the fiscal
subcommittee of the Senate Dis
trict Committee approved the
measure as it had passed the
House.