Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-28
House Sends
Highway Bill
ToConference
BY ]. A. OLEARY
Star Stah Writer

The House today sent to con-
ference the $1.8 billion highway
bill passed by the Senate last
night.
Democratic leaders would
like to complete action on this
anti-recession measure before
the Easter recess begins Thurs
day. But one influential House
member said today he did not
think this would be possible
unless the Senate backs down
on its propoed regulation of
billboards along the Al, 000-mile
Interstate system.
Acting Speaker Mccormack
of Massachusetts named the
following to represent the
House in conference:
Representatives Fallon of
Maryland, Blatnik of Minne-
sofa and Jones of Alabama.
Democrats; McGregor of Ohio
and George of Kansas, Repub-
licans.
Senate COnferees
The Senate appointed as its
confereeS Senator Chavez of
New Mexico, Kerr of Oklahoma
and Gore of Tennessee, Demo-
Gratis; Martin of Pennsylvania
and Case of South Dakota, Re-
publicans.
The bill, designed to put
more men to work on road
building, passed the Senate "a
to 4. But the controversial bill
board controls were kept in the
measure by the close division
of AZ to Al.
Three of the five Senate con-
ferees-Senator Chavez, Kerr
and Martin-voted to eliminate
the billboard regulations. Buta
in conference they will be rep
resenting the Senate action.
Both Houses voted yesterday
to go home from Thursday,
April 8, to April IA.
This is the second major
public works program to be
drawn up by Democratic lead
ers in recent weeks to create
Jobs for some of the more than
5 million unemployed.
Housing Plan to President
This highway bill follows on
the heels Of a $1.8 billion hous-
ing program, which has gone to
the President for signature.
Democratic leaders have a
third bill still in the Senate
Banking Committee to create
jobs by adding 50 billion to
the amount the Community
Facilities Administration, a
branch Of the Housing and
Home Finance Agency, could
lend to cities for sewer, water
and other municipal improve
ments. 1t seems unlikely this
bill can be acted on before the
recess.
The highway bill would:
Add 5000 million to the 50
billion already available for use
on the interstate system in the
year beginning July /.
Add 5000 million to the $1.6i
billion originally contemplated !
for the interstate system in
the year beginning July, 1859.
Make another $400 million
available to the States i'm
mediately to augment $875 mil
lion already allocated to the
States for highways not con-
nected with the interstate sys-
TEN.
Sis Million for Loans
The Senate bill also contains
Sis million to be loaned to the
States to cover their 80 per
cent of these projects. This
would be repaid from future
highway programs. In order to
meet these enlarged highway
programs out of the general
fund of the Treasury, the Sen
ate bill suspends for two years
the pay-as-you-go requirement
in the 1856 law for the inter-
state system. That law limited
the annual outlay on the inter-
state system to the funds avail
able in any given year in the
special highway fund, made up
of gasoline and other highway
taxes.
The Senate billboard amend
ment does not establish any
mandatory Federal control. It
seeks only to encourage the
States to do so, by offering to
add one-half of one per cent to
the 80 per cent Federal share of
the interstate system in any
state which regulates billboards
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