Evening star., 1924-04-29
HOUSE CONSIDERING
DC. APPROPRIATION;
DEBATE IS LIMITED
Four and Half Hours Allowed
for Arguments-Action to
Come Today.
DAVIS DEFENDS BILL:
SAYS DISTRICT GAINS
Declares Total in Reality Is Great
er Than Figure for Cur
rent Year.

IN" District appropriation bin for
the fiscal year beginning July ne1t.
which amounts TO s23,770,5f7. is be
fore the House today for considera
tion' with an agreement on four hours
and half of general debate.
In presenting this bill Representa-
tive Charles r. Davis of Mississipr,f.
chairman of the subcommittee which
conducted hearings on the District
budget and framed the appropriatfo,
blll. declared that while in some ouar-
ters ne is accused of bearing down.
upon the District, he would prove H.
the Rouse that his attitude toward
the District is in no sense antago-
nistic.
Made Up in Salaries.
He emphasized that while the bill.
as reported, is s803,456 less than the
appropriation for the current fiscal
year, the reclassification OF salaries
will more than offset that difference
SO that the recommended appropria-
liohS are really an increase over last
year, he said
representative Davis discussed the
school budget, the question of street
improvements, water and sewerage
extensions and the entire salary
: the subcommittee had endeavored to
deal literally with the District III
providing the most urgent needs.
he called attention particularly To
appropriation of $4,000 for increas
ing from forty to eighty feet the
width of 18th street northwest from
to ! street. although it was nor
included in the budget. This item was
urged by the Thirteenth Street Busi-
ness Mems Association. which pro
posed that abutting property owners
be charged with 40 per cent of the
entire cost. and the appropriation bill
! provides for such a distribution of
the expense, although under the law
abuttlng property owners would be
assessed only % per cent of the cost
excluding street intersections.
Urges School Program.
Urgent and pressing need that
there be enacted some well studied.
comprehensive school development
program for the District of Colum-
bia," was urged particularly upon the
members of the District committee, by
! Chairman Davis.
we have been proceeding here for
a number of years to appropriate for
a building here and a building there,
and for a site here and for site
3
ognized plan TO build up a system
which will properly and adequately
serve the various communities.
This is most unbusinesslike way 10
proceed, and one that should not BE-
longer tolerated. In recent years what
is termed the junior high school has
come into existence. We have six of
them now. l am not aware that any
committee of Congress has considered
whether or lot a junior high school
should be d part of the school system.
] am certain the question as TO the num-
Der of them which should be- provided
has not been considered, or the locali-
ties in which they should be built
Il submit it is time to call a halt
on this haphazard method of provid-
: ing for local educational facilities
and / earnestly hope that the District
committee will call on the school au-
thoritles to present a program to ex-
/ tend over a period of years and give
/ il consideration, and bring in a bill
I here by which the appropriations
4 committee can be guided in consider
/ ing requests which are presented to
! it for funds"
! Urges New Law Compilation.
! Another very important matter
which Representative Davis called to
| the attention of the House is that
/ there has not been compilation of
!, laws relating to the District of Co
! lumbia since 1889.
Il am sure that members of the
District committee will agree" he
! said. that this makes it most trying
! in giving consideration to the many
/ questions constantly arising where it
! is necessary to consult the law on
the subject. Quite recently Congress
authorized the preparation of com
/ pilation of laws relating to the Navy.
! The work has been finished and it is
! a most excellent and valuable refer
! ence book. ] propose to offer an
! amendment to this bill at the proper
| time to provide for the prepar ration of
! a similar work covering the laws
| relating to the District of Columbia"
While discussing reclaSSitication
Representative Davis pointed out
that the appropriations proposed in
this bill following the form employ
ed in other annual appropriation bills
previously presented at this session,
the total amount carried on account
of reclassification over the present
base pay plus the S240 bonus is
1922, ,033S0, or an increase of 1928
per cent, distributed over 2,230 en-
ploymentS.
Representative L. c. Dyer of Mis-
souri, engaged in dialogue with
Representative Davis in which he
brought out the fact that the Judi
ciary committee is now considering
special legislation increasing the sal
aries OF employees of all the courts in
the District, because such employees
salaries would in effect be reduced,
owing to the $24O bonus being discon-
tinued following the passage of re-
classification.
Cites School Salaries,
With reference to the appropria-
tions for schools, Representative
Davis said that lat first blush il
would appear that the committee is
proposing rather drastic action"
Teachers, librarians. school attend
ance officers and community center
employees are exempted from the pro
visions of the classification act They
have been estimated for at their pres
ent basic salaries without increased
compensation.
To pay such employees the $24O
bonus this year requires an appropria-
tion of S629,320. LAS we are obliged
to provide increased compensation in
one form or another for these public
servants in some subsequent measure.
| instead of the present appropriations
aggregating less than the current
appropriation, we are in reality as
suming that the increased compen-
sation later will amount at least IN