Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-01
President Signs Bill, Which
Carries Total Appropria-
ton of S15,O46, 1886.
GIVES HIGHER SALARIES
TO MANY FROM TODAY
Further Legislation Necessary if
Employees Are to Get Benefit of
Increases From July /.

Carrying the usual provision for
making expenditures for the District
Of Columbia, one half to be paid out
of the revenues of the District and
the other out of the federal Treasury,
the District appropriation bill was
finally passed by the Senate and
House late yesterday afternoon. 1t
was signed by the Speaker and by
Vice President Marshall and imme-
diately sent to the White House for
the approval of the President.
The President signed the bill soon
after it reached him, and it is now
n law.
Thousands Will Get Increase.
The bill, which had been in confer
ence for more than two-months, car
ries total of ST., ,046.7 1886. 1t pro-
Nides increases in salaries for thou
sands of the District employees. includ-
ing school teachers and members of
the police force. 1t provides also pay
for an increase of 144 firemen to es-
ablish two-platoon system.
bcSiuniIlS toudSy INC CthpioSC VI
the District will get the increased
salaries intended for them. They will
not, however, get the increases for
the last two months until further
legislation is enacted by Congress
authorizing the payment of the money
they have failed to receive.
1t was confidently predicted a the
Capitol yesterday that the next de-
ficiency appropriation bill. following
soon after the revenue bill. would
To Gil fnr Irrr n n
pIoyes the increases for the months
of July and August. 1t was the in
tention CT Congress that the employees
should have the increases. beginning
with the fiscal year 4uiy l, and mem
bers of Congress consider that it
would be unfair to make the employees
lose the increases for the last two
months because of the deadlock over
the bill in conference.
What Caused Deadlock.
The deadlock between the two houses
was over the half-and-half plan of APP
preparation for the District, which the
House sought to kill by means of the
Gard amendment, the Keller claim
amendment added by the Senate and a
House provision that the expenses of
The public Fairgrounds should be paid
entirely out of the District moneys.
which the Senate changed, substituting
the half f-and-half plan.
The House yielded on the half-and-
half plan, which remains as in the old
law. and the Senate then yielded on the
other two matters at issue.
The conferees on the bill met yester-
day afternoon and speedily reached an
agreement. Their report was submitted
first to the House by Chairman SisSon of
the subcommittee on District appropria-
tons. 1t was adopted promptly and
then sent to the Senate.
Senator Lodge of Massa chusetts, when
Senator John Walter Smith of Mary
land made the report, asked if the Kel-
lcr claim amendment had been retained
in the bill. Senator Smith replied it
had not Senator Lodge said that the
Keller claim was just and that he re-
iretted exceedingly the Senate conferees
hHd yielded on the matter. He sought
I" have the conference report rejected
that the Senate might further insist
upon this provision.
Considers Keller Claim Just.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, one
Of the conferees, explained that the
House had refused to yield on this
amendment, and that the joint resolu-
tion continuing the appropriations of
last year for the District of Columbia
would expire tonight. The District he
said. would be placed in an embar-
RAISING position if no funds were pro-
vided Immediately for the District
government. The House. he said, had
refused to pass resolution further
continuing the old appropriations
Senator Robinson also said that he
considered the Keller claim, which
was for damages caused to property
owned by Thomas W. and Alice n
Keller through street extensions was
3 just claim al that he regretted
very much that the Senate had to
abandon it.
/ The long fight over the District ap-
| propriation bill was due in large part
1 TO this Keller amendment, the Senate
insisting that it be retained in the
bill. The House. it is learned, was
Sreay to yield. before the summer re-
cess began, on the half-and-hal plan,
but was not willing to yield on the
< Keller amendment
Delay Costly to District.
The delay in the passage of the Dis
trict bill will cost the District and the
federal government, half and half
bout a quarter of million dollars, il
WAS learned yesterday. This is due to
the fact that BIDS ror material and
work under the new appropriation
hill, which were called for last March
a nd April. and which ordinarily would
Phave been signed as soon as the new
\hill became a law, had, perforce to
hinger along until they lapsed. The
= commissioners had no authority OF
law to sign these contracts Now it is
necessary to get new bids. and in the
last few months prices of materials
and wages have increased SO greatly
that II is estimated it will take abou;
S250,oe0 more to let these contracts
than 1t would have done had the Dis
trict bill been disposed of promptly.