Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-22
THE. DISTRICT BILL
WILL BE CONSIDERED SOON
AFTER rHE RECESS.
Appropriations Committee Shows a Dis
position to Dispose Of It's Work
as Promptly as Possible.

The District of Columbia appropriation
Dill for the fiscal year beginning July /
next will be taken UP by the subcommittee
OF the House committee on appropriations
assigned to the work soon after the holi-
day recess. The appropriations commit
tee which is now headed by Representa-
tive Hemeuway, has shown disposition to
push forward with its work as speedily as
possible. Already the pensions appropria-
ton bill has been framed and passed. The
subcommittee having in charge the general
legislative bill will be ready to report that
huge measure soon after Congress recon-
venes.
This subcommittee Is headed by General
Bingham of Pennsylvania, and was at work
for a week before the Christmas recess was
taken. The subcommittee had the heads of
all the big government departments before
it. The heads of the War Department, the
Navy Department, the Department of Com
merce and Labor and the others were
ton of their estimates. The mass of testi-
mony taken Is now being prepared for the
printers, and will be available for reference
in the consideration Of the bill as framed.
The subcommittee or the legislative bill
has given much consideration to the trans
fer of the So-caued temporary forces Of
clerks in the War and Navy departments to
the regular roll This temporary roll aggre-
6dtco dliuOSl oHo-tElTu the eutlTc IOTCe VI
clerks in the two departments. Most of
them came into the employ Of the govern
H,ent either in the SpaniSh-American war
or as its result They were urgently needed
while the war was in progress because of
the press Of work. The increase in the
army and navy establishments Immediately
following the war made 1t necessary to re-
tain large proportion of these temporary
employees, who are still paid out Of the
general appropriations instead of specifical-
ly as clerks.
The subject of this proposed transfer has
been gone into for two years past. It Is
realized that the time has now come for
some definite action to establish the status
OF the clerks, and it Is more than likely
that the subcommittee will report plan
for the organization of the temporary
corps. 1t is interesting to note In this con-
nection that Representative Gillett of Mas
sachusetts. chairman of the House commit
tee on reform in the civil service, is a.
member of the appropriations subcommit-
tee in charge of the legislative bill.
With the legislative bill out of the way,
the only other measure to take precedence
over the District bill is the urgent de-
f1cency bill, which is scheduled to- be taken
up Immediately the legislative bill is re-
ported. The urgent deficiency is of interest
and Importance to all branches of the gov
eminent, including the District of Column
ba, which has several items to be consid-
cred in connection with 1t.
Following the urgent deficiency bill the
District budget will be considered by the
subcommittee composed of Messrs. Nc
Cleary. Gardner. Burkett, Pierce and Ben
ton. These same gentlemen have framed
the local bills for the two years past. The
Commissioners will be heard on all the
items, and II the practices of the last few
to pointed fnterrogations on every phase of
the local government.