Evening star., 1934-01-14
Cannon to Call House Group
Meeting on Proposal of
Joint Sessions.
FAV0RS ACTION BEFORE
ESTIMATES COME Up
District Commissioners to Make De.
termined Fight for Increase Of
Federal Contribution.

The outcome Of the move by Senator
Thomas. Democrat. of Oklahoma, for
joint sessions of the subcommittee on
appropriations of the Senate and House
70 WORK out a permanent fiscal relas
tions policy of the District, will be de-
temined before the end of the week.
Representative Cannon, Democrat, of
Missouri, chairman of the House Com
mittee, announced yesterday he planned
TO call his group together at the first
opportunity this week to consider Sem
ator Thomas suggestion.
senator Thomas several months ago.
IN q letter to Cannon, recommended
to study the fiscal relations problem.
Cannon, howver, said he would wait
until after Congress convened To ascer-
tain the views of members of his group
before giving final answer
cannon indicated he Is anxious for his
committee to act on Senator Thomas
suggestion in advance of the hearings
on the District estimates for the 1885
fiscal year.
$5,700,000 Budget Figure.
Inc estimates approved by the Budget
Bureau call for Federal Contribution
to the District of only s5.70O, 600. the
same amount as appropriated for the
current hscal year, and incidentally,
tne record low figure. Determined ef-
1orts are to be made by District off,
Gals When the hearings begin to con-
vince the committee that the contrtbu-
ton should be increased. Commissioner
Hazen has said he not only intended To
urge a larger and more equitable con-
trlDutlon, but would make a plea for
permanent settlement of the annually
recurring. dispute over the fiscal reIa-
tions policy.
Consideration of the District esti-
mates has been sidetracked by Cam
non committee until all Federal SUD-
ply nllls for the 1885 fiscal year have
peen reported to the House. Cannon
mas not nxed a date for the hearines
ana indications are he will not call his
early in February.
The District bill, smallest of anv of
tne supply measures, does not rank
precedence on that account, and rarely
| gets attention until the big appropria.
tlon bills are out of the way. Moreover.
some OF the members Of Cannon's Com.
mttee also are serving on other appro-
| prlation subcommittee and are unable
70 nnd time at present to devote to the
district bill. Cannon himself is busy
on the subcommittee in charge of the
agriculture appropriation BILL.
s35,s2l,o1s Budget Total
The District budget totals s35 a21 MA
out supplemental items which the Com
miss1oners propose to submit If thev
can get Budget Bureau approval. prob
| ABLY would bring the sum up close to
S39, 600. This budget, as il went tn
congress, provided for little more than
the maintenance and operation of the
municipal government in the coming
! hScal year. while. at the same time
forcing the District to pile UP a surplus
OF unobligated revenues amounting to
5,403. 900. exclusive of the tax receipts
from the sale of legal liquor. estimated
roughly between s785.00 and 5000 900.
The supplemental estimates, now be-
ing prepared by Maj. Daniel j. Dono-
van, auditor and budget officer of the
DStrlct, are designed to reduce this
large estimated surplus, and provide
some OF the needed Improvements which
tne original estimates deny Reports
from the District Building indicate that
In the supplemental items the Commits
sloners will seek funds to begin con.
struction of the first unit in the mu.
n1c1pal center. establish the long pro.
posed branch public library in George
town, and improve a number of public
school buildings.
Members of the Cannon Subcomrnit-
tee have declined so far to express anv
views on the 1885 budget. although sew
eral anticipate repetition of the fight
over the fiscal relations question.
Expenditures to Be Shown.
Maj. Daniel ]. Donovan, auditor and
budget officer Is preparing for the
committee an itenlized statement show
ing expenditures of C. w. A. and p. w,
A. funds in the District. This data will
be part of the list Of justifcations of
District estimates to be forwarded to
Cannon some time this week.
The report has not been completed,
but it is estimated that the total ex-
penditures will amount to about &c.
000.0 900. Donavan, however, believes
that between 80 and 80 per cent of the
projects financed with P. w. A. and C..
w. A. funds are those which ordinarily
are not covered in budget estimates
Some Of these funds also were used for