The Washington herald., 1922-05-06
SENATE SENDS
DC. BILL BACK I
TOCOMMITTEE
Public Hearings Will Be
Held on Amendment
Shortly.
HARRISON PREDICTS
ITS MODIFICATION
Resolution Passed for In
vestigation of Alleged
Surplus.

The tax amendment to the Dis
trict appropriation bill was sent
back to the appropriations commit
tee OF the Senate yesterday on a
motion of Senatr Phipps. chairman
of the subcommittee of the appro-
priations committee and onesof the
conferees on the bill.
A point of order against the
amendment made by Senator Pat
Harrison. who explained that he
feared the establishment of a dan
gerous precedent, was overruled by
the chair.
It was the opinion OF Senator
Harrison that the recommitment of
the bill was n signal victory for
the taxpayers of the District. He
predicted modification of the tax
provisions during the hearings.
which will be open to the public
in order to give the taxpayers a
chance to be heard.
Result Of Compromise.
senator Phipps explained to the
Senate that he and other Senate
conferees were not in favor of the
amendment as 1t now stands, but
in order to come to an agreement
with the House conferees, 1t had
been necessary to compromise and
the, amendmnet was the result.
Senator Phipps predicted that the
cash basis in fve years by means
lection of taxes.
rison that the conferees came to an
that by bringing the
tax provision back to the Senate
and the House in the form of an
amendment, the rules of both
Houses might be evaded, whereas
II 1t had been returned as COM
ponent part Of the conference. re-
port. 1t would have been subject to
a point of order.
Feared Dangerous Precedent.
should the cnair overrule the
point Of order q dangerous prece-
dent would be established that
would allow the conferees on other
important legislation to write into
a bill matter which was not ger
name to the legislation under con-
sideration and thereby change the
whole purpose OF the BILL" Harri-
son declared.
The Senate accepted the amend
ments to the conference report as
modified by the House and agreed
to give up the Klingle Valley. Piney
Branch and Patterson tract park
way system. A separate bill for
this project will be introduced in
both Houses at some future date,
1t was stated late last night.
Senator Phipps. in explaining the
action OF the Senate conferees, re-
viewed the fiscal situation Of the
District in selation to Congress.
Year by year. for at least three
years. the Senate and the House
have been in disagreement or the
nscal system of the District" he
said.
The Senate has favored the $3.50
ratio. while the House has stood for
the 60-40 plan. 1t finally became
necessary to come to some agree
ment. and during the recent hear
ings on the District appropriations
bill and the subsequent sessions of
the conferees, it was decided to
senator Harrison, in objecting to
the amendment. declared the con-
ferees had undertaken to dispose
of matters not considered by the
Senate or House appropriation COM
mittees. The matter of raising the
assessed valuation of property.
rents. ground rents and the tax on
intangible personal property were
born in the conferences and were
beyond the jurisdiction
of the conferees, he pointed out.
Senator Ball. chairman of the
Senate District Committee, asked
tina: consideration OF the amendment
be postponed until 1t had been ascer-
tained whether or rot the District
Of Columbia had a surplus in the
Treasury. as was claimed by officials
Of the District and members Of the
Senate.
A resolution calling for an inves-
into the existence OF such a
fund was introduced by Senator
Jones. of Washington, and was
passed by the Senate