Evening star., 1933-02-24
D. c. SUPPLY BILL
HEARINGS NEAR END
IN SUBCOMMITTEE
Donovan Waiting to Bring Up
Discussion of Fiscal
Relations.
TAXICAB METERS
GET CONSIDERATION
Another Deficiency Estimate for
Local Unemployment Re-
lief Favored.

rate zone system, the Bingham sub
committee of the Senate was nearing
the end of hearings on the District
appropriation bill today, with District
Auditor Donovan waiting to take ur
the important question Of District
finances, and how much the Fedora
Government should pay toward mex
years supply bill.
District officials also are preparing
to confer at the earliest opportunity
with the Budget Bureau on the sugges-
tion of the Senate subcommittee thai
another deficiency estimate be submit
ted Immediately for local unemploy-
ment relief to make sure the District
will not run short of funds between
now and July l, when the s625,000
relief item in the regular appropriation
bill would become available. The Sen
ate subcommittee members have ndi-
Gated a desire to have supplemental
sum, the amount to be fixed later
today or tomorrow, carried in the last
deficiency bill, to be considered before
adjournment March A.
Land "HoId-ups" Charged.
Asserting that some residents of the
District are attempting to hold-up the
Government" in land purchases, Sena-
tor Bingham declared there would be no
appropriations for additional school
sites until this practice has been aban-
doned.
"I am sorry for the people who want
schools" Senator Bingham continued,
"but when few citizens resort to hold
UPS the others will have to suffer. 1t
is perfectly outrageous that people will
do things like this, but so long as they
do. Congress will have to defend the
taxpayers as whole from them"
The question was raised during testi-
mony concerning an appropriation for
purchasing new site for the Jefferson
Junior High School, now located at
Schaffer, representing the Southwest
Citizens Association, appeared before
the subcommittee to urge that $1l0,-
Geo item for purchase Of a new site be
restored in the 1884 appropriation act.
The property to be purchased lies
between Seventh and Ninth streets,
and H and I streets Southwest, and is
assessed at approximately $50, 900.
When the present owners refused TO
sell at what was considered reason
able figure, the District Instituted con-
demnation proceedings.
Second Award Made.
At the first hearing in District su-
preme Court. a condemnation jury fixed
an award for the land desired OF $105,-
600. Representatives of the owners
took the case to the Court OF Appeals,
where the award was set aside and
second Jury returned an award OF $294,-
600. The District refused to purchase
the property at this price, and the
case is back in court.
It developed at today's hearing the
owners of the property have of1ereo 70
sell at $3.50
Assessor william Richards told the
committee that during the past Two
wears property in this section has been
Selling for about 81 a foot, which, he
said, represented purchase price OF
about 100000 for the desired site.
MIR. Schaffer pointed out that the
preserlt school is fire hazard and tnat
the conduct of classes Is interfered Win
by passing trains.
Senator Capper of Kansas said If we
approve this hold-up, it would simply
be an invitation to others to use the
same tactics"
J. v. Graham, chairman Of the
Streets and Avenues Committee OF the
Washington Board of Trade, urged the
committee to replace in the bill an
item of S12,690 for financing the Dis
trict testing laboratory. The commit
tee was also asked to restore the orig
inal item of S147050 for the Tubercu-
losis Hospital This item had been re-
duced to $133,200.
To Debate Lump Sum.
The fiscal relations discussion, sched-
uled to come up soon, Will revolve
around the action of the House in re-
6ucing this years Federal contribution
of $7,775,0oO to s6,5oo,O00 toward all
District expenses for the next fiscal
year. In this connection there will also
be a discussion of the total amount cut
from the District bill in the House,
which, if sustained, would leave large
surplus of District revenues in the
Treasury.
This taxicab-rate issue grows out OF
the House provision preventing the
Utilities Commission from ordering in
stallation of meters.
The Citizens Joint Transportation
Committee, headed by Thomas P. Lit
tlepage, is urging the Senate to knock
out the House clause. In support OF
this request the committee today heard
T. w. Fowler, representing list OF
individual cab drivers, and Harry C.
Davis, speaking for the Independent
Taxi Owners Association, Inc.
Both argued that more equitable tax
cab rate regulation is necessary TO en-
able cab drivers to work more reasonable
hours and to bring about greater safety
On the other side of the argument
the committee heard Richmond d
Keech, peoples counsel; George E. Sui
livan, for the Federation OF Citizens
Associations, and Albert w. jacobson
representing the City Cab Corporation
Keech said he believed the pubic
faVors the zone plan. He said he ha.
advocated permitting both meter anc
fiat rate cabs, but was not in favol
Of requiring meters on all cabs.
Taxi Dispute Aired.
The controversy over whether taxi
cabs in Washington should be u1eterec
or continue on the flat-rate zone sys.
TEN was aired before the committee
when groups on opposite sides of ths
question were heard. The question
arises because of the provision in tn,
House bill to prevent the Utilities Com
mission from putting into effect metel
order.
The forces supporting the meteret
system were led by the Citizens Join
Transportation Committee, OF which
Thomas P. Littlepage is chairman. Tn
arguments in support Of retaining tn
present flat-rate system were presente'
by Peoples Counsel Richmond E
Keech.
Mr.. Littlepage said the Citizen.
Joint TRANSPORTATION Committee, rep
tho tra1a hOdiaS and N rtlrl1