Evening star., 1934-04-29
Senate Subcommittee Ex-
pected to Report Measure
by End of Week.
EQUITABLE INCREASE
OVER HOUSE FORECAST
Thomas Sees Need of Organized
Opinion of Residents on
District Affairs.

After few more days of testimony,
including a scheduled conference with
Budget Director Douglas, the Senate
subcommittee handling the 1885 Dis
trict appropriation bill will decide this
week on the changes it will make both
in the total of the measure and in the
apportionment of the cost between
the Federal and District governments.
All indications point to an earnest
desire in the subcommittee to bring
out a bill that will make adequate pro-
vision for the essential needs Of the
municipal government. and that also
will fix the Federal share at more
equitable figure than the House al
lowed.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of Okla
homa, subcommittee chairman. indi-
Gated the subcommittee would be ready
to submit its recommendations by the
end of the week
The subcommittee has asked the
budget director to attend the meeting
Tuesday morning for general discus
sion of the problems involved in the
pending bill, after which the subcom-
mittee probably will begin to map out
some of the general policies it will
follow.
Seek Douglas Views.
Among other things it is probable
subcommittee members will seek the
views of Mr. Douglas on a list of sup
Elemental estimates amounting to ap-
proximately S42O0.000, which were
asked for by the Commissioners, but
which have not been transmitted to
Congress. These supplemental esti-
mates included S2.700,000 for relief,
approximately S50o.0O0 additional for
school building construction. addi-
tional funds for the Lorton Reforma-
tory and smaller amounts for health
activities such as the tuberculosis
clinic and child welfare work.
At the time these supplemental esti-
mates were prepared, it appeared that
the regular estimates then being con-
sidered would fall short by about S.
100000 Of using up the anticipated
revenues of the city for next year.
Although the subsequent action of
Congress in restoring part of the Gov
ernment pay cut reduced this antici-
pated surplus by about S2,00000O it
would still have been possible to take
care of approximately s3,000.O00 of
the additional needs of the city.
Bill Upset in House.
The House Appropriations Com
mittee proposed a cut in the real
estate tax rate instead of providing
for these additional needs, but the
change in tax rate was knocked out
of the bill on the floor of the House.
After that development occurred, men,
bers of the Appropriations subcom-
mittee had the Federal share of the
bill reduced from the current figure
of S5,700,000 to S4,364295. This was
done on the theory that the District
owed the United States the diff
ference between those two figures as
70 per cent of a public works sewer
allotment last Summer, but District
officials have emphasized before the
Senate subcommittee that they un-
derstood this allotment to have been
made as grant, pointing out that
they were forbidden by law from ac-
cepting it as loan.
Thus. the bill passed the House with
the Federal obligation placed at only
S4,364,295 toward total appropria-
tion for next year of S32 $50 600. This
was less than the Budget Bureau
recommended. and the budget esti-
mates in turn were considerably less
than the Commissioners had asked for
on the basis OF anticipated revenues
for next year.
This is a general picture of the
situation before the Senate Subcom-
mittee as it prepares to seek an ex-
change of views with the budget di-
rector.
Thomas WithhOlds Predictions.
Until the hearings are concluded,
probably Wednesday or Thursday.
Senator Thomas is refraining from
making any predictions as to changes
that may be recommended by the
subcommittee.
In commenting generally last night,
however, on District problems, Sena-
tor Thomas said his more than 10
years of experience here have left
him with the impression the people
of the District are in situation much
similar to the Indians on the reserva-
tions in the West.
The Commissioners, he pointed out,
are subject to Federal control, and
stressed the Importance to District
residents of having organized express
sion of their views and wishes, even
though it be unofficial.
The Appropriations Subcommittee
will 6evote tomorrow to hearing a re-
naming group of District officials,
before conferring with the budget di-
rector Tuesday The subcommittee
members may have a brief conference
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