Evening star., 1933-02-26
D, c, APPROPRIATION
BILL FACES JAM OF
LAST-M|NUTE RUSH
Measure Must Go to Confer
ence if Senate Changes
House Provisions.
BINGHAM COMMITTEE
COMPLETES HEARINGS
Efforts Made to Restore Total of
$37,420,770 as Proposed
by Budget.

The District appropriation bill re-
mains as one Of the major problems to
be acted on by the Senate and ad-
justed in conference with the House
during the final week of the session
starting tomorrow.
The bill came from the House with
q total Of $34,9S3,565 and with the
Federal share in the upkeep Of the
National Capital reduced to $500, o00.
The Senate subcommittee in charge Of
the measure, headed by Chairman
Bingham, completed hearings yesterday
and will meet tomorrow to decide what
changes 1t will recommend in these
figures.
Its recommendations will 60 without
delay to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, which probably will have
the bill ready for consideration of the
Senate by Tuesday. Then will come
conferences with the House on amend
ments that may be made by the Senate.
May Be Caught in jam.
With the session ending at noon on
Saturday, the chances of passing the
measure in this Congress probably will
depend on what develops in conference.
If the bill should be caught in the jam
OF the closing days it would be con-
sidered anew by both houses in the
special session expected to be called
in April. The bill Is for the fiscal
year beginning July /.
In reducing the total of the bill from
the budget figure of $37,420,770 to $34,-
983,565, the House eliminated many
items scattered throughout the mu-
nicipal service which witnesses urged
the Senate committee to restore dur
ing the hearings of the past few days.
The Senate committee also had testi-
mony before it as to the inadequacy Of
the S6,500,O00 lump sum fixed by the
House as the Federal share What the
Senate committee will do with regard
to the Federal contribution and toward
restoring essential expenditures omlrocd
by the House will not be known until
after the deliberations which start to-
morrow
The final hearing yesterday was held
to get the views of Chairman Patrick
OF the Public Utilities Commission and
Assistant Corporation Counsel Roberts
on the taxicab problem. The House
inserted q clause to prohibit the COM
mission from carrying out its order
1or the establishment of the meter sys-
tenn OF cab operation. Gen. Patrick
told the committee there are approxi-
mately 1000 taxicabs here, that the
present situation Is not satisfactory and
that the meter system should be estab-
Would Accumulate Funds.
The Senate hearings developed that
unless more highway Improvement work
Is provided for there would be q con-
siderable amount Of gasoline tax money
Wng IDLE In the Treasury at the end Of
next year-noney paid in by motorists
Tor this purpose and not available for
any other purpose.
The hearings developed that a SINH
lar situation would prevail in the water
1und. namely that funds collected from
water users, and not available for any
other purpose, would remain in the
treasury while necessary funds for
water Department needs were omitted
from the House bill.
Cther important requirements of the
public hospitals and welfare institutions
were asked for by District officials dur
Ing the Senate hearings.
AS TO the financial situation Of the
District, Auditor Donovan showed the
Senate Committee that the National
Capital would fall far short of being
3ole 10 carry OUT It's program Of needs
Tor the next five years unless there is
= more equitable Federal contribution
toward the general fund requirements
OF the city He told the committee
there should be no increase in real
estate taxation, and that if the Federal
contribution is held down the only other
alternatives to meet the needs Of these
ensuing years would be to turn to other
sources OF revenue or reduce appropria-
tions to stay within anticipated COL
1ections.