The Washington herald., 1914-03-07

SENAIEGENEROUS
IN DISTRICT BILL
Budget Reported Yesterday
Minus Obnoxious Riders
Inserted by House.
NOW CARRIES sl3,l45,H4
Every Amendment Aimed at Half-and-
Half Plan Is Stricken Out
by Solons.
NOW CARRIES $13,l45,H4
BY JOSEPH p. ANNIN.

In perfect sttune with the spirit snc
letter of the organic &C. of 1s7S the Dis
trict appropriation bill was reported from
the Senate Appropriations Committee
yesterday, minus ali the obnoxious
''weazer' riders placed in the measure by
the House and carrying an increased to-
tai Of s1,7oe,1ss. The bill carries s13l45,-
Il4 which is s1.S4e,S5s less than the Com
missioners' estimates called for.
Every provision OF the House pili
which aimed at the integrity Of the half
and-half plan is stricken out-Section
eight, which called for the covering OF
surplus District funds into the Federal
Treasury, and the Boriand amendment,
assessing virtually all of the cost OF
street Improvement against owners OF
abutting property. go out entirely. The
provision making all playground expend-
itures a charge wholly on Distr1ct reVe-
nues also is stricken out
The bill leaves one question open, how
ever. 1t does not specify what use the
surplus funds of the District shall be put
to. From the estimates of the Commits
sioners there will be a District revenue
surplus of about ss73,17s. which, when
matched by a like sum from the Federal
Treasury, will leave a total. surplus OF
sl.346,35S. This amount probably will be
consumed by appropriations called for by
other District Legislation, however, before
the year is up.
City Planning Favored.
Much of the comprehensive city PLAN
ming program mapped out by the Com
missioners and ignored by the House is
carried in the Senate draft of the bill
A. $4,000 municipal hospital, to be
known the GaI1inuar hnGnifaI of
former chairman of the Senate District
Committee, is provided, and $4,000 is
appropriated for a new building for the
Emergency Hospital.
For the fish market asked by the Com
missioners, s1s5,OOo is appropriated, and
$4,000 for fish wharves. The request for
$500 to be expended in an investigation
into the merits of various municipal gar
bage disposal systems, is granted.
Other important additions are 800, 900
for the reclamation Of the Anacostia
River with authorization for the condem-
nation of strip on either side ten feet
wide and extending from the Anacostia
Bridge to the northeast boundary of the
District; $4,000 for the construction of
a Viaduct over the tracks of the Penn
sylvania and Baltimore and Ohio rail-
roads at Benning road; s125,oOO for the
construction OF a new Eastern high
school; $4,000 for the repaving of Seventh
street: $4,000 increase in the longevity
pay CT school teachers; S24,0O for pay to
members of the District National Guard;
$1,000 for the purchase of car tickets,
$500 worth to be used by police and
iiTemen, and $500 worth by other city
employees, and an increase of leO0 each
in the salaries of the three Commits
sioners..
Three Important Amendments.
Three important legislative amend
ments in addition to those mentioned.
are carried IN the bill. By the provi-
sions of one amendment nOn-residents
Of the District who are employed here
regularly are exempted from paying tute-
lage for their children in the District
schools, and non-rcsideats not employed
here. but who pay taxes in Washington,
may have the amount of those taxes de-
Quoted from whatever tutelage bills are
assessed against them. The Page rider,
placed in the bill in the House, which
prohibited the collection on school
grounds of funLs for most school activi-
ties. was knocked out by the Sem
ate committee The House amendment
changing the name OF the Avenue of the
Presidents back to Sixteenth street was
knocked out.
Another rider, which may be of far
reaching Importance to Washington and
Georgetown. authorizes the acquisition by
the Washington Gas Light Company of
the remaining stock of the Georgetown
COMPANY at the fixed Drice Of S155 nor