Evening star., 1963-12-25
DC. Gains Promise
OfAid byCongress
But Actual Cash
In 1868 Fell
Short of Pledge
BY SAM EASTMAN
and GRACE BASSETT
Star staff Writers

The District of Columbia
won from this Congress a giant
promise to pay more to help
run the city.
But the actual dollar contrib
ution voted fell far short of the
pledge. And the major WASH
mgton area program presented
to the lawmakers by the
Administrations proposed
subway and rapid transit sys-
tem-waS wrecked in the
House. The Senate never tried
to salvage it.
A multimillion dollar bonus
to train area youth for Jobs in
an automated era was almost
unoppoSed. Congress asked thei
Administration to build and
run a $40 million residential
vocational training school here
as a pilot for the nation.
A bill to make the National,
Cultural Center a memorial to
President Kennedy cleared the
Senate. House sponsors con-
sidered a drive to push through
the John F. Kennedy Cultural
Center authorization by the
end of this session, but aban-
doned the effort in return for a
rule guaranteeing House floor
consideration soon after Con-
gress convenes its second ses-
sion in January The legislation
would free matching Federal
funds to start construction of
the arts center along the Po-
tomac River
Stirred Controversy
House District Committee
hearings stirred controversy on
half a dozen issues. They
ranged from racial housing
discrimination to crime, from
home rule to controlling the L.
quor industry. from urban re-
newal in the city to furnishing
school children.
In contrast, the Senate Com
mittee tended mainly to house,
keeping bills and steered clear
Of controversy. Senators did,
join House committeeman in
crime conferences. But the
House omnibus anti-crime bill
was simply disSected later and
laid aside in the Senate.
House Unit Busy
Committee activities at the
midpoint between sessions offer
only clues as to what Congress
will do for the District by the
end of its second session next
year.
House District Committee
Chairman Mcmillan, Democrat
of South Carolina, said this
may have been the busiest ses-
sion ever. His Committee held
l22 hearings. compared to
about IS in the Senate. The
Senate total would be lower if
computed on the same basis as
the House total.
Mr.. McMillan's Committee
held A business meetings COM
pared with four called by SEN
ate District Committee Chair
man Bible, Democrat of Neva-
da.
Yet, the number of bills ap-
proved by each Committee was
not far apart. The House unit
reported AZ. all of which were
passed by the House except for
a transit and liquor bill. The
Senate Committee reported 33
measures. Both houses collec-
lively sent II local bills to the
White House. Twelve originat-
ed in the House; five, In the
Senate.
OF the II, only the Federal
payment and borrowing bills
are of city-wide importance.
Allowances Increased
Bleak fiscal prospects for the
city began to brighten when
President Kennedy asked for a
formula based on property va
lues to raise the annual Feder-
al share of District costs.
Congress rejected the formu-
la. However, the Congressional
compromise increased the year.
ly maximum payment from $32
million to a flat $50 million.
The formula would have yield
ed $53 million.
The follow-up was a cash al
lowance of $37.5 million. This
was SIS million more than the
city got last year. the most
dramatic rise in the Federal
payment in decades.
Congress permitted the city
to borrow up to 500 Million
another compromise of Kenne-
dy proposals for Federal loans
and added local taxes. The tax
proposal was ignored.
Approval OF the Federal pay
ment and borrowing bills gave
the District the revenue poten-
tial to send Congress a second
spending package of about $40
million. So, the Admins
tration's total budget for the
city was pushed to a request of
nearly 1929 million.
After some hard bargaining,
the House and Senate agreed
on a budget that carried most
of the city's spending pro-
grams.