Sparkman Urges Partnership Plan In City Council

Senator John Sparkman (D-La.), Chairman of the Banking and Currency Committee, called last night for an urban renewal program based on a partnership between local and federal governments.

His plan would allow cities which have inadequate funds to share costs with the federal government on a one third to two thirds ratio. This would leave room for local initiative and private enterprise.

The federal government needs to spend more money, he said, for programs like urban beautification, rehabilitation, model cities, and city planning. He hopes for an increase of $2 billion a year in federal spending and does not expect resistance from the senate in withholding appropriations because of the fear of race riots.

While stressing the problems of slums, crowded alleyways and inadequate playgrounds in the cities, he expressed his surprise at "impractical" proposals for "trillion dollar federal programs. "I almost fell out of my chair" he said; "When I came to Congress I didn't even know what a million dollars was."