Evening star., 1960-08-29
House Unit 'Buries'
Senate Renewal Bill
Members Join
Citizen Protest
On City's Plan
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Staff Writer

The District Commissioners
top priority renewal bill. passed
by the Senate, today was baked
by protests of spokesmen for
local citizens groups and House
District Committee members.
District Subcommittee Chair
man Dowdy, Democrat of
Texas, at a hastily called hear
ing, asked in vain for support
of at least one narrow section.
This would have allowed city
officials to span Ninth street
S.W. with new building
deemed essential to currently
planned Southwest renewal.
The committee stand appar-
emily blocks the Commission
ers' bill. which was reported
and passed in the Senate as a
substitute for a separate House.
passed bill sponsored by Repre-
sentative Rabaut, Democrat Of
Michigan.
Rabaut for Speed
The Commissioners proposal
permitted the Redevelopment
Land Agency to work in COM
mercial as we'll as residential
areas and allowed more use of
public space. The Rabaut bill
would have overhauled the re-
newal syst e m, centralizing
more authority in the Commis-
sioners and halting redevelop-
ment elsewhere in the city
until half of the big South
west area was rebuilt.
G. M. Koockogey, Dallas
Irvine. and Kathleen Joy Chai-
mas, speaking for Northwest
Washington citizens protesting
the Senate measure, insisted
that language in the bill would
clear the way for city officials
to use space above or below
any streets and alleys any,
where in Washington. AS such,
the authority was too broad,
they protested.
1t became suddenly clear that
subcommittee members were
prepared to hold up the legisla-
ton unless they could rally
professors behind parts of it.
Much more to their liking was
a suggestion from Representa-
tive Broyhill, Republican of
Virginia, to have the Federal
City Council study the whole
renewal program.
BrOyhill Speaks
The council could report back
to Congress in January when a
Senate District Committee in
vestigation of redevelopment
and renewal is due, Mr.. Broy-
hill said.
Mr.. Rabaut came to the
hearing today. He was mo-
toned forward by Representa-
tive Mcmillan, Democrat Of
South Carolina, who heads the
! full House District Committee.
Mr.. Rabaut shook his head,
and Chairman Mcmillan left
the hearing table to join him
in the audience.
The chairman asked for guild
ance from Mr.. Rabaut, who
has taken an interest in re-
newal as chairman. appropria-
tions subcommittee in charge
of the District budget.
Asked what would be the ef-
feet of the House committee
action. Redevelopment Land
Agency Director John Searles
said, 1T will clobber u.s."
/ SearleS Seeks Help
I Mr.. SearleS said he would
try to confer with COMPRESSION
al and District leaders this af-
ternoon to see if they could
push a limited version of the
discarded legislation through
Congress in the next few days.
Congress is expected to ad-
journ by Thursday.
/ This would be a desperation
move. Congressional aides said
privately that Mr.. Searles had
refused in the last two weeks
to agree to limiting the legiS-
lation to use of space above
and below streets in the South
west only.
Mr.. Searles and Robert F.
Kneipp, representing District
Commissioners, said they we're
surprised by the show of op-
position. Mr., Kneipp assured
House committeeman that the
Commissioners felt the legiS-
lation was extremely impor-
tant in carrying forward the
Southwest project" And the
Commissioners already have
been criticized on charges
that they have not moved
swiftly enough, he pointed out.