Evening star., 1918-07-03
FIGHT IN CONGRESS
HOLDS UP D. c. PAY
Local Government May Be in
Awkward Situation; Ap-
preparation Clash.

Inc DlStrlct government races an
awkward situation unless the District
appropriation bill becomes law by
Saturday or unless continuing reso-
luton is put through authorizing the
expenditure of moneys under the old
appropriation act.
government have money with which
to pay off its hundreds Of employees by
Saturday. Some authority of law must
be given to obtain the money.
The disagreement between the Sem
ate and House on the District appro-
priation bill Is part of Il general con-
test between the two houses and their
various members, in which $3.50
wheat and prohibition during the war
are involved.
The House adopted a joint resolu-
tion yesterday continuing appropria-
tions Of last year for the District of
Columbia, the Department of Agricul-
turs and the Army. because the an
nual appropriation bills for these
branches Of the government are still
awaiting Anal action.
But Senator Gore of Oklahoma, who
is fighting for $3.50 wheat. the Sem
ate amendment to the agriculture bill,
refused to allow the Senate to adopt
this Joint resolution, fearing that if
such action were taken his contest for
the increased price of wheat would
be lost.
The Senate having adjourned until
Friday, the situation is such as to give
considerable concern as to what will
happen when 1t comes time to pay off
the District employees.
The Senate has asked for further
conference on the District appropria-
ton bill.
Senate Firm Against Gard Rider.
The Senate Overwhelmingly deter
mined to stand by the half-and-half
pla.. of appropriating for the District
Of Columbia late yesterday afternoon.
The vote was So to 4.
The vote came after Senator John
Walter Smith of Maryland. chairman
of the Senate conferees. had explained
to the Senate the situation with re-
gard to the deadlock and after the
House had voted, 1877 to 128, to adhere
to its objection to the Senate amend
ment striking down the Gard rider"
and restoring the half-and-half plan.
Unless the Senate agrees. the law
which provides for the appropriations
for the District one-half out of the
federal Treasury and one-half out of
the District revenues cannot be
changed. That being the case. it is
predicted that the Senate will win
in the fight in the end and the House
will have to yield.
It has always been the custom when
the two houses disagree over a meas
ure for the house proposing new legis-
lation to yield when a deadlock has
been reached. The deadlock between
the two houses now seems complete.
Rule Applied to Fairgrounds.
There was involved in the Senate
vote also insistence on Senate amend
ment providing that the funds for the
public Fairgrounds shall be paid for
on the half-and-half plan, instead Of
entirely out Of the District revenues,
as provided by the House.
The third Senate amendment still
in dispute Is that proposing to pay
Thomas w. and Alice N. Keller dam
ages for injury done property by
street extensions The Senate voted
81 to 0 to stand by this amendment.
In calling for vote on the half-and-
half plan Senator Smith said:
1--WE are in favor of the half-and-
half plan. If ever there was a time
when that plan should prevail it is
now. when the government is con-
of all the various fuctions. This is
no time to make any change, and, in
my judgment. the plan is right all
the time
1.-THE senator from Maryland has very
properly said that this seems an inop-
perfume time to change the system"
said Senator Gallinger of New Hamp-
shire. II need not do more than call
the attention of the senators to the fact
that the government had greatly in
creased its holdings in the District Of
Columbia during the last year, and
there is very prevalent belief that the
government today controls more than
half of the property in the District of
Columbia. Now. the proposition on the
part of the House is that the money
taken from the people of the District by
taxation, which Is today more than one
half the expense of running the Dis
trict, shall be taken by the government,
shall go into the Treasury. and the gov
shall balance whatever Is nee
essary, so that in the very nature of
things the District of Columbia would be
paying more than one-half of the ex-
penses of the government"
The four senator's voting against the
half -and-half plan were Senators Beck
man. Hollis, Kenyon and Vardaman.
Senator Underwood Of Alabama asked
for q record vote on the Keller amend
ment, saying that he was convinced the
claim was q Just one