Evening star., 1918-08-27
DEADLOCK ON BILL
T|ESD. C.'SHANDS
Needs Appropriation Before
Going Ahead With School
and Other Plans.
AWAITS ACTION BY HOUSE

with the school year approaching.
and an urgent need for increased
facilities prevailing, with members OF
the police department and other Dis
trict employees awaiting increased
salary to meet the high cost OF living.
and with funds required for urgent
necessities Of the District government
the appropriation bill is still tied up
by a deadlock between the two houses
Of Congress.
The District appropriation bill Is
with the House appropriations com
mittee. AS regards conference De-
tween the two houses, the position ID
virtually this, that the House mem
bers have gone in and closed the door
behind them. From parliamentary
point of view the Senate can take no
action because the House has voted to
adhere. In order to open up the mat
ter so that funds may be made avail
able for expenses of the seat OF gov
ernment, a motion in the House that
the House recede from its vote to ad-
here must be taken.
Mr.. Sisson Maintains Attitude.
Representative Thomas u. sisson Of
Mississippi, chairman Of the sub
committee on appropriations for the
District, during the recess OF Con-
gress has not changed his mind re-
garding the course he will pursue.
He returned to Washington yester-
day, He stated today that he has
no intention of taking any steps 10
ward breaking the deadlock He says
that the Senate conferees are taking
advantage of the technicality Of the
papers being with the House. MI.
Sisson says these papers should have
never come back to the House, but
Senate after the House voted to ad-
here. When the Senate conferees
have any proposition to make Rep
resentative Sisson says he will con-
sent to hear such proposition.
AS a result of the deadlock. WASH
month with a greatly reduced teach
ing force.
Teachers May Not Return.
Increases in pay are provided in the
bill for teachers in the kindergarten
and first, second, third and fourth
grades. Many of these teachers have
been working during the summer for
the government. It is considered cer-
surrender better-paying positions to
return to their work in the schools at
the old rates Of pay.
If the appropriation measure, how
ever. should be passed before Septem-
ber 20. when the 1888 school sea-
son begins, the increases provided, II
is thought. would be sufficient to
render unlikely wholesale resigna-
tions from the teaching forces OF the
lower grades.
School Conditions Uncertain.
Probably never in the history of
the District schools has the beginning
of q scholastic season approached un-
der conditions of greater uncertainty
as to the number Of teachers that will
be available. the number Of pupils
that will be enrolled and the adequacy
of the buildings for meeting the en-
ro1lment.
Apparently. there is no way of get
ting even an approximate line on the
situation, and all the school authort-
ties can do is to wait and see what
develops. Delayed passage of the ap-
preparation bill, which provides for
the construction of sixty portabies,
has complicated the housing problem.
If there should be an overflow In at
tendance. which is considered prob
able, the board of education may; be
able to partially solve the problem by
utilizing the old Central and NJ Street
colored buildings.
But solving the problem Of a Short
age of teachers promises greater dff-
iculty. The only relief in sight is
passage of the District appropriation
bill before the schools open.