Evening star., 1924-05-06
MAY ADD SURPLUS
TO D. C. FISCAL BILL
Senator Phipps Takes Steps Which
May Make Funds Available
Next Year.
$4,000 MORE POSSIBLE
Capital Likely to Receive Addi-
tional Surplus Revenues.

yesterday of the Phipps bill, making
available to the District the s4.500,0 900
surplus of District revenues now lying
idle in the Treasury, Senator Phipps
Immediately took steps to have the
pending District approprt: Gon bill. In
this way the House will be given an
opportunity to act on the proposal
when the District bill goes to con-
ference.
Senator Phipps. who firmly believes
this accumulated surplus of District
tax money should be made available
to the city, will also endeavor to have
the Senate District committee re-
port his amendment favorably and
inserted in the District appropriation
bill.
The procedure will make it pos
sible also to get the question before
the House prior to adjournment of
Congress. Should the House concur
in the Senate's action in recognizing
the Districts right to this surplus
fund, it would not be possible to
appropriate the money at any time.
The way would then be clear to
appropriate the surplus fund next
year either for expenditure on urgent
municipal needs or by applying it
gress has directed the District to
build up by the year 1927 in order
10 put the city on a cash paying
basis.
For Raising Certain Sum.
The Commissioners. in fixing the
tax rate each year, are now provid-
ing for a certain sum to be raised
over and above appropriation charges
in order to build up the necessary
ysxrlr g.
1927.
Senator Phipps indicated his graft
hcation today over the action of the
Senate in passing the bill, and voiced
the hope that the House also would
approve it
The senator pointed out that while
the $4,500.000 has been in the Treas
ury for some time, the federal gov
ernment is deriving no benefit from
II and 1t should be made available for
use by the District
Tnere are many urgent municipal
needs to which the surplus could be
applied when appropriated, in the be-
lief or Senator Phipps. He mentioned
the incompleted water conduit from
Great Falls and the shortage in school
buildings as specific items.
IN addition to giving the District
legislative title to $4,43S,15492. the
Phlpps amendment to the bill, adjust
ing accounts between the federal and
gives official recognition to an addi-
tional s819,000 in surplus revenues.
according to the construction placed
upon the amendment at the District
oulIding today, which may make the
total allowance in favor of the Dis
trict s5,257,O00
For Additional Allowance.
Maj. d. ]. Donovan. District and;tor
reviewing the bill today, noticed this
PROVISION with qualification, he said.
since in reality it makes way for the
allowance OF the additional $4,000
district surplus revenues
Inc Interpretation placed upon this
sSscGon Sss or the amendment at the
District building today was that in
approval the title of the District of
funds. fu'
The amendment orders in its last
paaragraph that the controller general
Oh The United States ascertain and de-
termine whether the items mentioned
IN the preceding proviso were i'm
property taken into account in arriy-
1ing; 11ing at the s4.43s.154.s2. and it is be-
the. direct statement that the ss1e. 900
Is TO be credited the District in fbe
nrst paragraph of the provisions of the
amendment is a basis for authorizing
Dlstr1ct government title to the full
SiaiAicuB WHICH Is S5,ZbI.OOO.
MAJ. Donovan put up a stiff argu-
meIt nne Tor the allowance of the ss1s,-
600 in report presented to the Com
m1SsionerS in January last In this
report he questioned the correctness
of the figures $4,438,o0o as repre-
sentinS the Districts surplus, and
called particular attention to the fact
that more than 100000, embracing
four items, whcih he listed, was
Improperly charged against the Dis
Several Items Embraced.
Relative to this. Maj. Donovan's re-
port said:
1T appeals to me that the fore
going explanations (relative to this
100000 and the items that mako it
up) convincingiy and conclusiveIy
show that the sum of $825, 6o3.69, en-
bracing the several items considered
in detail above, was improperly treat
ed as an obligation of the District of
Columbia on June 80, 1922, thus re-
sulting In correspondingly reducing
the surplus revenues Of the District
in the Treasury on that date, and
should properly have been treated as
revenue credit of the District of
Columbia, thereby increasing the sur
plus revenues of the District of CO.
lumbia in the Treasury on June 80,
1922.
Had this amount been treated in
the light indicated, the joint select
committee must have repored that
the surplus revenues in the Treasury
on June 80, 1922, belonging to the
District of Columbia amounted to
$s,2s3, 1851 instead of $4,43s.154s2.
Later Maj. Donovan agreed that
some $4,000 in this estimate was not
to be allowed. and this made the
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