Evening star., 1933-04-10
|W|DER D. c. POWER
ASKED FOR RELIEF
Senate Group Also Advised OF
Need for Calvert
Street Bridge.

Broader power for the District Com.
missioners in administering the BoarC
of Public Welfare appropriation fol
emergency relief during the next fisca
year and the advisability of startinf
at once on the building Of new Cal.
vert Street Bridge were among the high.
lights of the first meeting today Of the
Senate Subcommittee considering the
1884 District appropriation bill.
The subcommittee, headed by Senator
Elmer Thomas, Democrat, Of Oklahoma
spent the entire morning In executive
session with Commissioners Reichelder-
fer. Crosby and Gotwals and District
Auditor Donovan.
Exact Needs Uncertain.
It Is understood the local officiall
called attention to the difficulty Of an.
ticipating In advance the amount thai
will be needed to relieve distress amoni
the unemployed during the comint
be given authority to spend more thar
one-twelfth each month Of the relie1
appropriation during the early part o.
the fiscal year II conditions make i
necessary, with the understanding that
Congress would provide further fundi
upon its return later In the year.
There were indications that the sug-
gestion was sympathetically received by
committee members and that Language
may be written into the bill that would
give the Commissioners greater leeway
in meeting emergency relief needs as
conditions require from month to month
Gasoline Funds Sought.
As to the Calvert Street Bridge. the
District officials called attention to the
need for replacing 1t, and there Is q
strong possibility that some Of the un-
obligated money In the gasoline tax
fund may be utilized to start the new
bridge.
There were indications after the first
meeting of the subcommittee that while
some changes will be made in the bill
which passed the House last week carry
ing total Of only s31 ,s67 ,442. the House
figures probably will be left unchanged
in most cases throughout the bill.
In giving the subcommittee q gen.
eral picture of the financial outlook
for the District government in the COM
ing fiscal year, the local officials are
understood to have expressed q belief
that the Districts revenue collections
may not be nearly as great as the tax
levies will call for, because of the in
ability Of many families to meet Their
taxes on tlIuc next year. MemDeIS Ol
the subcommittee got the impression
from today's discussion that while the
drastic cuts that have been made In the
revised supply bill indicate surplus
of more than $4,000, 1000 in the general
fund, this may prove to be only sur
plus on paper, which may not all be
collected because Of economic conditions.
U. S. Share Not Discussed.
The subcommittee did not reach the
question of what the Federal contribu-
ton should be. In the original con-
sideration Of the 1884 bill in the last
Congress the Senate and House con-
ferees agreed on g compromise lump
sum of $1,000, 900, which was $175,000
less than fol. the current year. but after
the conference report failed on March
the Budget Bureau and the House
brought forth the pending bill with the
lump sum still further slashed to
$7,500,000. The subcommittee recessed
shortly after noon until tomorrow morn
ing, when the District Commissioners
will continue their testimony. to be fol-
lowed by school officials The schools
and libraries would be hard hit to carry
on essential activities under the House
bill.