Evening star., 1934-05-31

| tCOntlnueQ FTOm rISC TaSe.)
! money. So far as the wording Of the
House bill was concerned, it was a
fiat reduction of $1.335.7o5 in the
Federal contribution.
The revised language on which the
conferees agreed yesterday describes
the Federal contribution as "a sum
equal to $5,700,000, less a sum equal
to 10 per cent of the amounts ex-
pended under the allotments from the
Public Works Administration of ST.
| 759 500 for sewers and $l48,650 for
park improvements"
Not to Be Used as Precedent
According to some of the conferees,
there were informal indications In
| the conference that the House would
not undertake to use the reduction
in the Federal contribution for the
| coming year as precedent or basis
for fixing the lump sum payment In
the next District bill.
The deduction of approximately
81 1886 900 from the Federal share Of
/! this bill is on the theory that the p.
w. A. funds made available last Sum-
, mer were 80 per cent grants and 10
per cent loans. District officials have
insisted they we're not loans. But,
even on the assumption that they
| were loans, the agreement about to
be approved by the House and Senate
requires the District to make repay
ment Of the entire 10 per cent one
year after the money was advanced.
When P. w. A. finances similar pro-
| jectS in the States it buys bonds OF
the communities obtaining the money,
| which are retired over extended
periods of time.
Some of the Senate conferees are
known to have been in favor of al
! lowing the District to repay this
! sewer and park money over a period
| of years, but House conferees are un-
derstood to have argued that they
| wanted to keep the District Of Co.
| lulnbia on a strictly cash basis.
Compromise on Amendments.
| the remainder of the conference agree
ment consists Of compromises on a
series of Senate amendments by which
the District is allowed to spend its
own tax money to the extent of esti-
mated collections next year. The
House bill carried a total Of $32, $780,
900, the Senate bill S37 $3.50, 900. The
conference agreement resulted in
revised total of about $35 400 900, or
| slightly more than half of the amount
the Senate added.
The House conferees also won their
fight in slashing the funds of the
Public Utilities Commission for per-
sonnel, which, it was testified in the
hearings, would cripple the work Of
| the commission in its regulatory func-
tions. The final agreement carries
the House figure OF S50,000 for per-
sonal services, instead of the Senate
| figure of S86,823, a decrease of more
than $4,000. For general expenses
of The commission. the House item Of
81 ,0oC was raised to 81 500.
100000 for FeIief.
For emergency relief the final figure
| is 50 ,0oO. 900. The House bill had al
lowed 81, 100000. The Budget Bureau
asked the Senate to add l,700, 900,
making $4,000, 900. In conference ST.
100000 of the Senate increase was
knocked out.
The House bill contained only
$500. 900 for the school building pro-
gram, affecting only two buildings.
The Senate added S966,500 for other
buildings and sites.
In conference the Senate kept s772,-
| 600 Of this increase, and this was one
of the main concessions they obtained
| from the House. The increases re-
manning in the bill are: Raising the
Woodrow Wilson High School item
from $4,000 to 100000. SIS, 500 addi-
tionai ior the addition to Logan
School, $4,000 additional for going
| ahead with Anacostia Junior High,
S65,000 for adding to the Phelps
School, S166,000 for an addition to
Deal Junior High, SIS 900 for purchase
of land at the Phelps Vocational
School, and compromise amount OF
Sl05,C00 for purchasing the site for
jefferson Junior High. The conferees
struck out Senate amendments allow
ing $4,000 for repair shop and
gymnasium at Armstrong High School
and SIS, 900 for an addition to Bunker
Hill School
Viaduct Fund Killed.
The conferees retained Senator
Copeland's proposal for beginning an
experiment in character education in
the public schools, but at a reduced
allowance of $27,925 for the necessary
personnel.
The Senate amendment alloting
| $3.50 900 from the gas tax fund to
| build a viaduct to eliminate the rail-
road grade crossing at Michigan ave-
nue. in Brookland was knocked out.
Another Senate amendment allow
| ing $4,000 for plans for a new bridge
over the railroad tracks at Franklin
street in Brookland also was elimi-
| mated
The general fund for opening and
| widening streets was raised from the
House figure of $50 900 to $200, 900.
| The agreement appropriates $780,
| 094 for assessment and permit sewer
| work, instead Of $20,094 in the House
! bill.
| Sanatoria Approval Seen.
Although the Senate amendment
allowing $500, 900 for construction of
additions to the children's unit and
the preparation of plans for the Dis
| trict tuberculosis Sanatoria at Glenn
| Dale, Md, was listed technically as
still in disagreement, because 1t was
, a new item added in the Senate. the
House is expected to approve it The
conference sgreemnt contains $4,000
| for provisions, fuel and supplies at
| the children's sanatorium, a COM
| promise. and $4,000 for repairs, as
proposed by the Senate
A compromise figure of $42,998 also
was reached for the tuberculosis and
venereal disease dispensaries under
the Health Department. The increase
made in the House figure In this case
is for purchase of equipment.
The agreement allows $37, ,492 for
| the expenses of the Alcoholic Control
Board, instead of $28.352 as allowed
by the House and $55,900 as allowed