Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-30
Bill to Resolve
Dispute Filed
By Mccormack
BY ALEX r. PRESTON

today.
Representative Mccormack.
Democrat Of Massachusetts and
the House floor leader. dis
closed that a new bill he has
introduced would resolve a dis
pute between General Services
Administration and the Army
Engineer Corps about jurisdic-
ton over the property.
This bill will settle that dis
pute in favor of GSA. Mr., Nc
Cormack told the Fiscal Affairs
subcommittee headed by Repre-
sentative Smith Democrat Of
Virginia.
Army Engineers Stand
The proposal to locate the
new hospital on the Lough-
boro site has been opposed
by the Army engineers. who
have maintained that the land
is needed for future expansion
of the city'S water need.
THE position of the Army
Engineers is rather difficult
for me to understand" Mr..
Mccormack said.
He referred to a report Of
the engineers in 1916 which
projected the water needs OF
the District and surrounding
areas and the proposed expan-
sion of the Dalecarlia Reser-
voir to the year 1000.
Both he and Thomas Raysor,
general counsel for Sibley Hos.
pital, declared that the en-
gineers did not indicate in
their study that the Lough-
boro road tract would be
needed before water plant
expansion.
Col. Sumner Testifies
However. another witness.
Col. George Sumner. District
Engineer Of the Army En-
gineer District, testified:
Placing a permanent struc-
ture. such as the proposed Sib-
ley Hospital. on as little as IL
acres of this reserve area would
not only remove land which
will be critically needed in the
| future but will undesirably re-
strict the planning Of future
works"
If this land is not reserved
for water plant expansion"
Col. Summer said, and it
should become necessary to
procure land elsewhere, the cost
Of expanding the system would
be greatly increased because of
the cost of connecting the ad-
ditional plant to the existing
system and for other reasons
Under questioning by menu
bers of the committee, Mr..
Raysor said If GSA obtains
Jurisdiction over the disputed
property. it will become much
easier for Sibley to locate. He
said that contrary to popular
opinion, Sibley Hospital did not
initiate the move TO locate the
new structure at Loughboro
road. The move started. he
said. with GSA ''in co-opera-
ton" with the hospital.
The question OF Jurisdiction,
however, is only a collateral
object OF the Mccormack
legislation.
Immediate Object
The immediate object OF the
legislation is to transfer Gov
eminent liens on hospital prop
critics On July % Representa-
tive Mccormack offered a bill
designed TO allow Sibley TO
move to the Loughboro road
site. That bill. like one offered
earlier by Senator Dirksen. Re-
publican Of Illinois. specified
that a lien against the old
Hahnemann Hospital - which
has been consolidated with
Sioley-would be transferred
to whatever Federal agency OBJ
tains Jurisdiction over the
Loughboro road tract.
The newest bill makes IL
clear that the lien would be
transferred to GSA. In add.
ton, any other hospital benefit
ing under the Hospital Center
Act, also would be affected by
the lien transfer provision Mr..
Mccormack listed these lnsti-
tutions as Emergency Prou-
dence and Garfield.
"Sibley Hospital does not
want TO use the Loughboro site
II It's use in any way interieres
with or increases the cost OF
the d. c. Water Supply Sys-
tenn" Mr.. Raysor said.
Cites Document
Neither do We wish 10 en-
ploy expert witnesses to con-
tradict testimony OF the United
States engineer Office. he said.
We are content 70 rest our
case on a report prepared by
the office Of the United States
engineers which was printed as
House Document 80 Of the
18th Congress. I'd session
That Is the report that pro-
iectS the water needs TO the
year 1000. He said II was APP
proved BY Congress In 1850 and
again as late as June 20. 1855.
Now the interesting thing
is" Mr. Rsysor said. that no
where in this report OF PIT
pages Of text and statistics or
in It's 80 plates Of maps. draw
ings and charts. Is there any
mention made OF any facility,
building OF storage yard 70 be
located on me i7-acre site pro.
posed for 5ioley Hospital.