Evening star., 1962-09-04
Matthias Revises
c. & Q. Canal Bill
Prompt Passage
Of New Version
Aim of Move
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Staff Writer

pal 2taAA HAAsNA
A bill to preserve the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Canal was
stripped to its essentials today
in an effort to get action in
this session Of Congress.
Prompt passage was the goal
of Representative Matthias, Re-
publican of Maryland. and
House Interior committeeman.
Mr.. Matthias asked the COM
mittee to lift out of his bill
every section to expand the
isolated canal bed into a hiking.
camping, boating, fishing and
cycling haven, complete with
access roads and parking.
The subcommittee reported
a bill making a national his
torical park" out Of a 174-mile
canal strip, designated by
President Eisenhower as a ma
tional monument"
Apparently to be sent to the
House floor is a skeleton bill
like one originally introduced
in the Senate by Senator BeaI,
Republican Of Maryland. The
Senator succeeded in hearings
in amending his bill to match
the broader Matthias version.
So, the Senate, in effect, has
passed the Matthias bill and the
House, unable to move that
version, is about to act on the,
Beall bill.
This strategy evolved at,
morning hearings in an at
mosphere of resentment and
misunderstanding which has
seemed to haunt the canal
bills unsuccessful trips through
Congress for the past six years.
UdaTl Attacked
Full Interior COMMITTEES
Chairman Aspinall, Democrat
of Colorado, attacked Interior
Secretary Udall. The Secretary,
a former member Of Mr.. Aspin-
all's committee, walks and loves
the canal.
But he sent the committee a
nine-page statement insistingi
that the full Matthias bill was
a bare bones" and absolutely
minimal" proposal.
"The Secretary was a member
. . Of the Interior Committee. He
. knows our problem" Mr.. Aspin-
all said. why doesn't he come
clean with us? Why doesn't he
say what he'd be satisfied
with?"
| Assistant Secretary Max N.
Edwards assured the chairman
Mr.. Udall would be satisfied
with the compromise, If the
committee thought the full bill
would fail. ~
To Mr.. Aspinall, the Execu|.
tive Branch in both the Eisen-
hover and Kennedy adminis-l
tratiors was trying to thwarti
the will Of Congress in ambi-
tious grabs for power. He saw
in the Eisenhower designationl
of the monument" and In the
Kennedy insistence on unreal
iStic legislation a threat to the
separation Of powers. !
The former President acted
after Canal bills had failed mi
two successive Congresses. Some
members of the Maryland con-
gresSional delegation were put
ting heavy pressure on him JoI
make at least a gesture to pre
serve the Canal. =
-
Eisenhower Move Hit
Mr.. Matthias ventured that
the Eisenhower designation had
created an anomoly.
Why, Mr.. Matthias" said
Chairman Aspinall, "you can't
get any money for a monu-i
ment. Yet. President Eisen-
hover made the Canal a monu-
ment, contrary to the wishes OF
a legislative committee when
all we want to do is to help
correct a situation"
The Army Engineers regis
tered no objection, but wanted
action deferred on the Canal
bill again. Quiet but firm Army
opposition in the past has been
based on the possibility that
engineers. will recommend at
least one dam and reservoir in
the Canal area to assure ade~
Quate water for the National
Capital area. The engineers
recommendations are due in
November.