Evening star., 1925-02-22
Congress Deals Construc-
lively With Capital Needs
in Record Appropriation.
TRAFFIC MEASURE HELD
CERTAIN OF ENACTION
Lump Sum as Basis of 1927 Divi.
SIGN of District Expenses
May Be Stipulated.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

With the largest appropriation bill
for the National Capital that Con-
gress ever drafted now in its final
stages and awaiting only action by
the House tomorrow, the last District
day OF this session, upon the traffic
bill, Congress. with only eight legis-
lative days remaininfi. is going to
make a strong finish on important
legislation for the District.
Throughout the entire session the
District has received more sympa-
thetic, constructive attention from
Congress than for many years. In
the closing rush the Capital comes to
the forefront with the following ma
jor measures almost certain TO pass:
$4,000 for District.
First, the largest deficiency and
supplemental appropriation bill ever
drafted for the Capital will be re-
ported to the House tomorrow and
called up for action on Tuesday. 1t
contains more than $4,000. 900 in Dis
trict items, including $2.s9S,1T0 as a
special school building fund to come
out of the s4.50o.000 surplus fund
to the credit of the District in the
Federal Treasury. 1t contains other
ihPOi Ihciiip lOE Il eQtEdl dCtlNlllcS
in the District. including s173,000 for
purchase of additional land for the
Bureau OF Standards, which runs the
total up to more than sS,5O0,000 to
be spent on local projects.
Second-The House Is expected to
act favorably tomorrow upon the
traffic bill on which joint committees
of the Senate and House have labored
for months. The Senate passed this
measure Wednesday night. The House
District committee voted yesterday
to substitute the Senate bill for the
House measure to expedite passage
of the best measure possible under
the present circumstances to afford
traffic reltef. Although Representa-
tives Blan'on and Hammer have de-
clared that they will fight the Senate
bill lit Is exrected to- pass.
Expects school BiIps Passage.
Third-The House is expected to pass
tomorrow the flve-year school build
ing program for the District, which
has already passed the Senate, and
which members Of Congress generally
have declared to be the most pressing
need of the National Capital.
Forthwith the traffic bill dis
posed of the House will take quick
action on the conference report on the
District appropriation bill, which
shows four items still in dispute be-
tween the two Houses One of these
relates to the provision for two ad-
ditional judges and necessary at
tendantS for the Police Court and a
proposed change of law to lessen the
number of jury trials so as to ex-
pedite judicial punishment of law
breakers. 1t was to await imminent
permanent legislation on this sub
joct in the traffic measure that the
House delayed action upon the con-
ference report on, the District ap-
propriation bill.
Fifth-The House will vote, perhaps
tomorrow, but more probably on
Tuesday. on the lump-sum provision
In the District appropriation Lii for
sharing the costs of the National
Capital. The House put this share
of the Federal Government at $9,O0o,-
900. The Senate raised 1T to $11 900, :
600. The House instructed it's con-
ferees not to agree to this increase.
There are strong prospects that the
House will force the Senate to yield.
budget Proviso for 1927.
Sixth-The final section in the Dis
trict appropriation bill, which Is one
of the four points of difference be-
tween the House and Senate, was
adopted by the House on motion of
Chairman Madden OF the appropria-
tions committee. 1t permits the
Bureau of the Budget in submitting
estimates for the fiscal year 1927 to
TCan+Irrad on poue CoIunn .