Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04
LOCAL MEASURES
ON SENATE HORIZON
Appropriation Bill to Indicate
Pay Increase Policy for
Future Action.

Many questions of interest to WASH
| ington are expected to occupy the lime
| light at the Senate end of the Capitol
during the busy period which will start
with the reconvenAng of Congress to-
morrow and continue until the session
ends on March A.
| Among the first things the Senate
/ is likely to do following the resump-
ton Of business tomorrow, will be the
| reappointment of conferees on the
Treasury-Post ONCE bill, involving the
issue of whether a start Is to be made
this year toward increasing salaries in
under average grades in the Govern
ment departments. The original con-
ferees cut out the amount the Senate
had allowed for this purpose, but their
report was rejected just before Christ
mas, necessitating further conference.
Appropriation Bill Coming Up.
The Senate also will take up this
week the Interior appropriation bill, to
which the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee also added the amount recon-
mended by the Budget Bureau to begin
adjusting these under-average salaries.
These salary increases affect all the ap-
preparation bills, and whatever deci-
sion is reached on the first bill to be
| completed is expected to be followed in
all the other supply measures
The Republican Steering Committee,
which recommends q legislative pro-
gram to the Senate, expects to meet
tomorrow, and among the matters
awaiting its consideration Is whether to
include the Howell prohibition enforce
ment bill for the District in the list of
measures to be taken up by the Senate
during the remainder of the session.
On Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock
Chairman Capper will call the Senate
District Committee together to hear
the views Of District officials and local
organizations on the future Of the Bor-
land street paving assessment law. Later
in the week Senator Capper VIII fix the
date for another hearing on proposed
changes in the trafnc law.
BOrland Law Beaten in Court.
The Borland law, which requires
AUDITING property owners to pay half
the cost of street improvements, has
met with opposition among taxpayers
since its enactment, and has been the
subject Of considerable litigation be-
tween property owners and the District
government. Property owners have been
successful in having assessments set
aside on diagonal avenues, which Gre
ate triangular and irregular shaped
lots. The bill before the committee was
prepared by District officials as a means
Eof avoiding inequalities in street paving
assessments.
Awaiting action in the Senate is the
Capper resolution to authorize the Dis
trict Committee to make q study of the
prices of bread or other foodstufs in
the District.
There are two local bills which passed
the House at the last session and which
bare awaiting action in the Senate, hav-
ing been reported by the Senate Com
mittee with amendments. One Is the bill
to authorize reduced fare for school
children on street cars and buses. The
other Is bill to require motorists who
are convicted of serious trafic offenses
to show proof of their financial respon-
sibility before having the right to drive
restored.
Local Measures on Calendar.
There are several other local measures
on the Senate calendar which will re-
quire action by both Senate and House
These include the street railway merger
plan, the proposed merger of the gas
companies, the bill to change the court
procedure in public utility cases, and a
bill tc amend the Federal condemnation
law for the purpose of expediting several
Government Improvement projects here