Evening star., 1921-01-19
Bill Reconsidered After Its
Passage on Protest by
Harrison.
WOULD CUT NUMBER
OF U. S. EMPLOYEES HERE
Mississippi Senator Expected to
Offer Amendments for New
School Buildings.

Aaf-nnd-haIf plan of appropri-
ntfng fOl the District. was
passeL In the senate today.
The hill was passed practical
~ as 1t was reported from the
SENATE appropriation commit-
tee.
IL authorizes the use Of the
surplus revenues Of the District
and provides for the expendt-
fure OF *2.:sS,5OO under this
surplus provision.
Before passing the bill the
Senate voted down q motion
by Senator Harrison to recon-
init the bill with Instructions
to report the bill back with
amendments providing for nd
dftfOnaI school buildinRs. The
vote was - to "a.
determined effort to curtail the
appropria tions for the District of CO.
lumbia was launched in the Senate
today by Senator King of Utah, dem
ocrat, member of the Senate District
committee. Acting upon information
which he said had been conveyed to
him by an official of the District gov
eminent. who claimed there are too
many employees now in the District
offices. Senator King proposed a Sc
ries OF amendments reducing the num-
Der of employees
Senator Curtis of Kansas, in charge
OF the District bill, announced that h,
Would agree to the adoption of these
amendments, with the idea that the
conferees of the Senate and hous.
would give consideration to the letter
TeceIsed oy Senator King from the
district official to whom the Titan
senator had referred. He made it
clear, however, that IL. upon investi-
CATION, the conferees determined the
proposed reductions were not neces-
sInS, sn, , .ne original proyissons ef the
Senator Harrison of Mississippi was
expected today to offer q number Of
sI asmendments pfosiafne new schoo.
/, The District bill vas passed by the
senate within two minutes after that
BODY met today. with only three or
TOUR senator's present. The Senate
nad been in recess and the District
bill was before the Senate for action
as soon as that body met
tor rmmediateiy naerns. ,l upon its passage sena-
committee. moved that the Senate pro-
ceed to the consideration of the Ford
ney emergency tariff bill. But before
the motion could be put a point of
no quorum was made by Senator
Robinson of Arkansas, democrat
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi.
hurried into the chamber a few mo-
ments after the passage of the Dis
trict bill. He had several amend
ments to offer. So did Senator King
OF Utah, both democrats and both op-
posed to the enactment of the Ford
ney emergency tariff bill into law.
Reconsideration Ii Asked.
AS soon as a quorum was present
Senator Harrison asked the vote by
which the District bill had passed the
Senate be reconsidered. He pointed
out that he had two or three impor-
tant amendments to offer, including
amendments providing for new school
buildings.
Senator Curtis of Kansas. in charge
Of the District bill, said that he had
believed yesterday that senators were
bill, but that if Senator Harrison
really desired to offer amendments in
good faith, he would make no OBJ
pection to reconsideration of the vote
by which the bill was passed.
Senator Harrison replied that both
he and Senator King had some amend
ments to offer.
Senator Penrose then said that he
was willing to permit reconsideration.
He, gave notice, however. that he
would press for action on the tariff
bill.
After the Senate had reconsidered
its action in passing the District bill.
Senator King said that he had been
informed there were too many en-
ployes provided in the bill for some of
the District government departments,
and he moved to reduce from four to
provided for care of the District build
Senator King. protested against a
growing tendency to increase Offices
in Washington, when one of the OBJ
jects of the budget system il. to, cur.
that he, was glad the. appropriations
&C mmittee had refused to accept
recommendations for increases in
numbers of clerks and salaries
He said that he believed the Dis
trict appropriation bill should be- re-
duced by at least $2.000.000 from the
total carried in the bill as reported
to the Senate. He added that he in
tended to offer a motion to recommit
the bill to the committee with in
structions to report it. back with
cut Of S2,oeo.ooo.
Senator Curtis of Kansas explained
that the bill as reported, contained
items made necessary because of the
conditions in the District arising from
the war. including large increase in
King ORers Amendaenta.
Senator King offered other amend
ments, after he had obtained an agree
ment from Senator Curtis to permit
the adoption of these amendments
with the understanding that they
would be given further consideration
in conference. cutting down the num-
Der of employees in the office of the
personal tax board, the license bureau.
the collectors Office, the Engineer
Commi ssioners Office and the sur
veyors Office.
Senator King questioned Senator
Curtis regarding the Jurisdiction over
the parks, bridges and streets Of the
District. He said that he believed
the District government should have
complete control over all the parks
and the bridges and the streets. In
stead of having the War Department
When Senator King had completed
his amendments to the bill Senator
Harrison offered a number of amend
ments dealing with the public schools.
the first providing for an additional
q assistant superintendent who should
be business manager. Senator Cur