Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15
DISTRICT MAY LOSE
MILLIONS THROUGH
CONFEREE IMPASSE
Auditor Prepares Statement
on Appropriation Bill
Failure Results.
HOOVER is INTERESTED
IN SETTLEMENT EFFORT
Bingham Repeats Senate Willing
ness to Compromise, But House
Insists on 100000.

Should the District appropriation bill
fail through a continuance of the dead
lock between House and Senate con-
ferees, as now seems probable, ana a
continuing appropriation be passed to
take care of current operating needs
of the municipality, the District would
lose $16,240,082 that was carried in the
bill as it passed the House, or this might
be reduced approximately 100000,
depending on how broad the wording OF
the continuing resolution may be, &C
cording to a statement prepared yes
terday for Chairman Simmons OF the
House District subcommittee on appro-
priations by District Auditor Donovan.
A continuing resolution was drafted
yesterday by the clerk of the House ap-
preparations committee to be used when
the adjournment resolution is presented
in the House, at which time 1t will be
deemed expedient to consider the Dis
trict appropriation bill dead" and pro-
vision will be made for paying the
necessary running expenses OF the Dis
trict for the fiscal year beginning July
l. The terms of this resolution are
being kept q secret and 1t is not dis
closed what, If any, improvement prof.
ect may be included.
Bingham to File Report.
\ senator BINGHAM, VI SOAi-
hecticut, chairman of the Senate con-
ferees. Is expected to file with the Sen
ate tomorrow the report setting forth
the inability of the confereeS TO come
TO an agreement on the measure. The
drafting Of this report was begun Fri
day after the Senate group had failed
In another attempt to induce the House
members to compromise on the Federal
contribution, but the Senate was not
IN session yesterday.
There were no developments In the
situation at the Senate end Of the Cap
itol yesterday, other than a reiteratton
by Senator Bingham that the Senate
confereeS have been willing to compro-
mise the difference over the Fedora
contribution, which the Senate place.
at $4,000 900, while the House stuck
to the $4,000, 900 figure upon which 1t
has insisted for the past five years.
Senator Bingham received from the
Columbia Heights Citizens Association
yesterday a resolution congratulating
the Senate conferees for the stand they
have taken in favor Of some Increase
above the $4,000, 600 figure as the Fed
eral contribution.
Meanwhile, from the White House
came word that President Hoover, while
hopeful for a settlement. was prepared
to take action in the matter If no agree
ment was reached.
The Donovan statement. prepared at
Simmons request, to show as nearly
as possible at this time the consequences
of the failure Of the District bill with
respect to the loss Of appropriations for
the District during the coming fiscal
year, follows:
'For the purpose Of setting up the
following groups Of figures, the District
bill for 1881 as passed by the House OF
Representatives Is used.
actual Situation in Doubt"
THE actual situation that would arise
from the failure of the District bill for
1891 and on q continuing resolution for
that year cannot be definitely and &C
curately indicated at the moment be-
cause it is not known In what form the
continuing resolution would be passed
by Congress, If passed at all. The re.
suits indicated, however, may be con-
sidered as approximately accurate. A
continuing resolution would as a gen
eral rule make available in the fiscal
year 1881 only such appropriations as
were made In the fiscal year 1880 fo1
maintenance and operating expenses. II
9Ss not known, in the absence Of the
wording Of the resolution, whether ap-
kproprationS would be available under
P1ts terms for the completion Of projects
now under contract, such as school
UulQH1ESs WL1SIC PoIShcA ekJfJ&OpAAo-
tons have been made and additions
appropriations are carried in the pend
ing 1881 bill for their completion. In
preparing the information contained In
this memorandum it has therefore been
assumed that no appropriations for new
work or construction would be continued
under the terms of the continuing reso-
luton, but only such appropriations az
are absolutely and exclusively necessary
NrAtvlaYv fY1fGT7 and Y7rnYNfnu
expenses. ....
"AS the continuing resolution would
be based upon appropriations for 1880,
the appropriations for that year are
used by way Of comparison with the
appropriation items contained in the
District bill for 1881 for the purpose
Of establishing which Of the appropria-
tons contained in that bill would be
available in 1881 under the continuing
resolution and which appropriations
would not be available.
The appropriations for the District Of
Columbia for the fiscal year 1880, as
carried in the annual appropriation act
for that year, provided S29, 094,235 fol-
maintenance and operating expenses
The 1881 District bill pending in Con-
grees. as passed by the House provides
$50, 1923 1852 for maintenance and operat-
ing expenses. Therefore, on the basis
of maintenance and operating expenses
the District under a continuing resolu.
ton In the fiscal year 1891 would lose
appropriations for the several service.
of the District government totallinf
SI.S2e, sat. For bbettermentS and i'm
provefnentS, including new projects Of
all kinds, such as school buildings, the
municipal center, sewers, street paving
etc, the District would apparently LOST
IN 1891 under the terms of a continuing
resolution resolution $l4,4l0. ASS, al
though 1t may be that some parts o.
this total would be available for expen
diture under the terms of the proposed
continuing resolution However, tn,
maximum situation with respect to bet
terments and Improvements for 1893
under q continuing resolution would b.
indicated by the figure used above, $l4,
4lo,455. 1t might be that by reason o
the definite wording of the continuing
resolution this amount would be reduce,
by anywhere from 81 500 900 TO 50, 900,
600 on projects authorized and in be
ing. such, for example, as school build
ings for which partial appropriation
were made in the 1880 appropriation
act with authorization for the Commits
sioners to enter into contracts for tn
total cost of the buildings, the fu
Execution Of the contracts. therefore
being dependent upon appropriation
being made in the fiscal year 1881.
District Would Lose Is Million"
Prom what has been said above |
would seem evident that as maximum
situation the District would lose unde
the terms of q continuing resoluattol
IN the fiscal year 1881 appropriation
tntfling s16,24o.0e2. This total nigh