Evening star., 1922-04-26
D. c. FISCAL BILL
REPORT P|ECEMEAL
Conferees Agreed Upon All
But Two Items in
Measure.

Reaching an agreement on all items
in the District appropriation bill ex-
cept two, the conferees of the Senate
and House this afternoon determined
to report to their respective houses d
partial agreement on the bill.
The two items still in dispute are:
The Senate amendments for park ad-
ditions, including Piney Branch and
klingle Valley tracts and the Patter-
son tracts, and the tourists camp.
The conferees have agreed on a
plan for a permanent fiscal arrange
ment between the District and the
federal government. The sixty-forty
ratio IS made permanent. No tax rate
is fixed. but the Commissioners are
to fx the rate SO as to raise the
The committee decided to raise the
tax on personal property to one-half
cent 1t is now three-tenths of a
cent.
Under the plan it is proposed grad
ually to put the District on a cash
basis" The Commissioners are sup
posed to raise each year something
more than is required for the so per
cent share Of the District in the eX-
penditures and this will gradually
create a surplus.
Senator Phipps, chairman of the
conferees, said that nothing had been
done in regard to the present surplus
of between four and five million dol
lars He said that was left to be
taken up for consideration in the fu-
ture.
The conferees agreed on the water
supply, appropriating $1,500.000 this
year, with authorization to contract
for another s1.4oo,0O0.
Bill Limits Expenditures.
The bill. as now considered in con-
ference. would put a limit of! cost of
$1S6.6OO tor acquiring Klingle Road
Valley Park. which contains about
1921 acres; $237,70o to acquire Piney
Branch Valley Park. CONTAINING about
1913 acres, and 100000 for the Pat
terson tract, containing about S1.76
acres.
Considerable propaganda and cor
respondence, while causing additional
work for members Of the conference
committees, emphasize the interest OF
the entire country in the appropria-
tions for upkeep and Improvement OF
institutions in the National Capital.
Conferees said that probably no one
item has brought more correspond
ence from organizations all over the
country and in every state in the
Union than the proposed increase OF
81 900 for the minimum wage board
in the District. This increase has
been agreed to. One Of the conferees
said that he believes he has received
more than 1000 letters on this single
During the last few days the con-
ferees have also been receiving
heavy mail regarding the proposed
Home for Feeble Minded. These let
ters resulted mostly from a mistaken
idea that the feeble-minded were to
be housed at Blue Plains in the same
building with the aged and inhrm.
Letters Of protest were received from
women's clubs, social welfare organ
izations and other institutions in
every state.
In explaining the committees real
intention today. Chairman Davis OF
the House conferees said:
eve spent several days In Mary
land, Virginia and the District, look
ing over all available sites for a home
for the feeble-minded. 1 never saw
any committee more unanimous and
enthusiastic than when we visited
Blue Plains The District of Columbia
has easily the finest poor farm In
the entire country. There are 800
acres of land with surroundings
charming in every respect. We could
never find a more desirable location
on which to erect new home for
the feeble-minded as the bill pro-
noses"