Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-12
Domestic Sewing Machine
Co. Agency, 929 r st. NV.
CONFERENCE PROPOSED.
Commissioners to Discuss Appropria-
ton Bill With Senate Committee.

1t is expected that the Commissioners will
appear next Monday before the Senate COM
mittee on appropriations to confer with
that committee with reference to the items
in the pending District appropriation bill.
The conference will continue, 1t is thought.
throughout the week. Among the important
matters of general interest to be discussed
will be the proposition of the House COM
mittee to place the Police Court the offices
of the register of wills and recorder of
deeds and the repair shop in the proposed
new municipal building a proposition which
has aroused considerable opposition among
the citizens of the District. The Commits
SiOnerS will also endeavor to have inserted
in the bill those items recommended by
them in their estimates which the House
committee eliminated
The Commissioners will present before
!. the Senate committee all the arguments and
recommendations presented before the COM
m1ttee of the House. together with such adj
ditiOnal arguments as may have been coll
lected since the bill was reported in the
House, and which have been suggested by
the propositions made by the House COM
mittee
During the past week the Commissioners
have been busily engaged collecting papers.
documents, arguments and general informa-
uon IN proper form,s so as to be able to
properly discuss the questions that will
come up in the conferences.
The amount of work and preparat ton on
the part of the three Commissioners which
these conferences with the congress sional
committees necessitate would probably sur
prise the average citizen of the District As
is we'll known, the Commissioners represent
the people of the District before Congress
They are obliged to inform themselves of
the needs of the District, and to discrimi-
nate between the improvements that are
urgent and those which are desired but
which may be deferred without material
detrlment In support of all their recon-
mendatiens to Congress the Commissioners
are obliged to collect arguments, facts and
figures, so as to present the Districts claims
in an intelligent and comprehensive man.
ner.
The preparation for the conferences of
course, extends practically throughout the
year, but more especially for several months
before the hearings the Commissioners are
engaged in collecting reports from the va
r1ous departments and in informing them
selves with respect to the exact needs of
the District and the District government
In order to properly present the Districts
needs bsfore the committees the Commits
Sioners are obliged to acquaint themselves
with all branches of the District service and
to study each department carefully
Before the committees during the hearings
the Commissioners are asked all kinds OF
questions relative to the District and their
knowledge of District affairs must neces-
sarily be wide in scope. Each Commissioner
presents the items in the departments under
his personal supervision but it is necessary
that each of the Commissioners also be able
to answer questions relating to all phases
of the District government in some in
stances. Every recommendation of the
Commissioners is carefully gone over in the
hearings, and in order to economize time
the District authorities must have all their
information at their fingers ends
Because of the hearings before the Senate
committee it is understood that the Com
missioners win be unable to make any en-
gagements appoint any hearings for next
week. The citizens of the District are