Evening star., 1933-04-14
Last-Minute Appeals for
Vital Funds Made to
Senate Group.
S5,700,0O0 LUMP SUM
Is DECLARED UNFAIR
Cottrell of Trade Board and Others
Ask for Increase in
Federal Share.

Pleas for restoration of the more es-
sential items cut from the revised 1884
District bill, and against holding the
Federal share down to the Budget Bu-
reau figure of S5,700,000, were made to
the District Subcommittee of the Sem
ate Appropriations Committee today by
spokesmen for local civic groups.
AS the executive hearings drew to a
close more than a score Of representa-
tives of city-wide organizations and
neighborhood associations were on hand
to make last minute appeals to the SUBJ
committee to put back in the bill funds
the lack of which they believe would
seriously impair important activities,
particularly the school system, branch
libraries and public health functions.
Csttren Makes Plea.
Speaking for the Washington Board
of Trade, Robert j. Cottrell, executive
secretary of the board, urged the sub
committee to restore items that had
been agreed to by House and Senate
conferees on the original bill, which
failed to go through in the closing hours
o. the old Congress.
He also emphasized that the Federal
contribution toward the National Capt.
tai had already been sharply reduced
to meet the general demand for Federal
economy in the current appropriation
act and that it would be taking more
than its share of the retrenchment If
it is cut down to the new low level
carried in the House bill Cottrell fur
ther requested that the Commissioners
be allowed to adjust the District tax
levy SO as to ease the local tax burden
to whatever extent is possible after the
appropriation bill has been enacted.
In his plea against the $5, 900
lump sum. Cottrell showed how the
pruning knife has already been deeply
applied to Uncle Sans share of Ma
tional Capital upkeep in recent years,
first by departing from the substantive
law establishing 40 per cent as the
Federal share, and more recently by re-
ducing the amount payable under the
that last year this lump sum was cut
from $500, 900 to S7,775.0 ZOO and that
now the Budget Bureau and the House
want it further cut to S., 100000.
Water Rate Cut Asked.
George E. Sullivan, chairman of the
Law and Legislation Committee Of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
also appealed to the Senate committee
to 'insist upon some approach toward
reasonabIeneSS in the matter OF the
Federal contribution.
Another important recommendation
he made was that water rates be reA
duced 20 per cent to give water con-
sumers the benefit of the surplus which
Is expected to accrue from wster rents
under the curtailed appropriation bill.
The original District bill, which fail
ed on March 4, had been worked out IN
conference to a total of $36,291 SAT OF
regular annual appropriations, with
compromise Federal contribution of
$7,600,000. AS submitted to the new
Congress and passed by the House, the
bill now contains only $31, 1867, ,442 of
general appropriations and a Federal
contribution of only SIS, 100000.
Discussing the probability of surplus
of approximately $4,000, 900, not count
ing the beer tax, Mr.. Sullivan pointed
out to the Senate committee that the
suggested reduction of the real estate
tax rate from $1.70 to $l.50 would re-
duce the general surplus by only about
81, 800 900, according to the auditor.
and leave a remaining surplus of S.
100000. Mr. Sullivan also reminded
the committee that the District several
years ago was required to spend large
sum of money acquiring land for the
municipal center development, which
he argued was primarily intended to
beautify the Nations Capital and which
is not expected to progress for many
years.
Referring to the Federal contribu-
ton, Mr. Sullivan said the Federal
Government apparently is making no
attemp to pay its fair share toward the
(Continued on pace & Column IL