Evening star., 1933-04-30
The Senate's District Bill.

subsequently quick approval Of those
recommendations in practically the
sane form by the House resulted in
unusually strong and remarkably uni
ned protest from local taxpayers against
the obvious inconsistencies and 1nJus-
tices threatened in the measure. These
, protests were CONSIDERABLY taken under
advisement by the Senate Subcom-
mittee on District Appropriations. no
taxpayers having been given a hearing
In the House. Petitioning for changes
that would in some degree correct the
inequities Of the House measure, the
citizens requested. first. that available
local tax money be spent on necessary
local projects. thlU providing employ
ment for otherwise idle men; second,
that available local tax money be spent
TO avert the unnecessary and harmful
crinpling of essential municipal func-
tdons; third. that the creation OF un-
necessary surpluses Of local revenues be
prevented by tax reduction.
The bill just reported to the Senate
indicates the effectiveness Of protest by
local citizens and reflects the reason
Ableness of their requests. Generally
speaking, the Senators have sought to
make the bill conform to the expressed
wishes Of the community and, as re-
salt, the measure Is more just and
satisfactory than before. The changes
made by the Senators are, how
ever, of such relatively minor i'm
portance, for the most part prevent
ing ruthless inf1iction Of hardship
rather than projecting new or contro-
versial issues, that the House should
ind no difficulty in giving them its
essent-provided, Of course. they are
approved by the Senate In the form
suggested by the committee.
The more important changes In the
bill may be analyzed in brief as follows:
l. The Senate Committee left un-
teuched the House provisions regarding
expenditures Of water department reve-
nues, but placed the expenditure OF the
SosS 900 Of water fund surplus revenues
ut the discretion OF the Commissioners
Instead OF the President. 1t Is rather
absurd, of course, to expect that the
President of the United States. in these
days especially. must first give his per-
mission before a few hundred thousand
dollars can be spent on laying a new
water main. The Commissioners may
bs expected not to abuse this authority.
2. The Senate Committee added about
$500, coo to the sl,040 900 gasoline tax
surplus which the House said might be
spent If the President approved. but also
placed the expenditure Of this money
within the discretion Of the Ccmmis-
stmers, instead Of the President. The
Senate, In addition, provided that part
OF these funds should be spent In be-
ginning work ON the Calvert Street
Bridge and the widening Of Constitution
avenue.
3. The Senate Committee made avail
able for expenditure four unexpended
balances from former appropriations,
but diverted one Of these unused bal
ances from the Municipal Center project
not to be continued for years to
eome-to Immediately needed school
baildings. The three otherhdnexpended
balances are made available for the uses
for which they were appropriated: Con-
struction work at Lorton; improvement
Of school grounds and school repair
work.
At the same time the Senate Com
mittee repeated the previous recon-
mendation by the Senate last Winter
to permit the District to skip the 1884
repayment Of a million dollars under
the Capper-Cramton park legislation.
Federal Government advances having
ceased two years ago and remaining
park work having been indefinitely sus-
pended, this temporary moratorium"
is eminently fair and the money IS
needed by the District. In utilizing for
other purposes q part OF this million
dollars, the Senate committee proposes
that $3.50, 900 be added to the relief ap-
preparation in recognition of the dam
gerous depletion of such funds already
and makes $4,000 available for in
creasing certain specific appropriations
for schools, libraries, Fairgrounds, etc
f. The Senate committee recon-
mends an addition Of $550,000 to the
Federal contribution, increasing 1t from
the $5,7OO,OO0 recommended by the
House, the increase being in some pro-
portion to the increases In the House
bill over budget recommendations. This
Is not an equitable adjustment OF the
Federal contribution issue. 1t merely
makes consistent the Budget Bureaus
proposal that the lump sum be cut in
the same proportion that the total ap-
propriations are cut. OF course, the
lump sum was never increased as the
total of the bill in former years in
creased. The proposal to make it fluc-
tuate as the total of the bill fluctuates
was not applied until the fluctuation
became violently downward. The Sem
ate committees proposed increase. how
ever, carries out the principle Of the
Budget Bureau recommendation.
S. BY An amendment, to be offered
from the floor by Senator Thomas, the
Commissioners would be able to au-
thorize the transfer of funds from one
subhead to another in the appropria-
tions for libraries, Fairgrounds, schools,
health department and public welfare.
The adoption Of this amendment, to-
gether with one relating to the filling
OF teacher vacancies BY assignment Of
special teachers 70 cias room work.
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