Evening star., 1935-06-03
j. s. SHARE IN AIR,
CONFEREES MEET
TODAY ON D. c. BILL
Final Agreement to Be
Sought After Recess
Since April.
$40, 800, 900 IS TOTAL
IF NO CHANGES COME
School Program, Police Increases
May Lose Out, How
ever.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

With the amount of the Federal
share and several other important
questions remaining to be settled, Sen
ate and House confereeS on the 1885
District appropriation bill are sched-
uled to meet this afternoon after a
recess of more than a month.
When they laid their work aside
late in April the conferees we're re-
ported to have reached tentative
agreements which would have made
the bill total about $40 800, 900, unless
further changes are made now. This
would be approximately the amount
the Budget Bureau recommended in
January.
Besides the basic issue of what part
of that total the Federal Government
should paw. there still remained un-
settled at that time the Senate amend
ments allowing $87.540 to continue the
character education movement in the
schools and about 100000 of essential
maintenance items for Gallinger Hos
pital.
Agreement May Come Soon.
Although nearly a month remains
before the appropriations will be need
ed to start the new fiscal year. there
is strong likelihood the conferees will
try to reach final agreement within
q few days, possibly this afternoon.
The House bill placed the Federal
payment for the coming year at
S5,700000. The Senate adopted the
recommendation of the District Com
miSsioners and local civic organiza-
tions by raising it to S8317 500. which
represented the average of the vary
ing lump sums for the 10-year period
since Congress began departing from
the unrepealed substantive law that
laid down the ratio of go per cent to
be paid by the District and 40 per cent
by the Federal Government
For a number of years the Federal
lump sum has been going down. and
for the current fiscal year Uncle Sans
share of the Districts expenses was
about IT per cent When the con-
terees met in April, the House men,
hers we're understood to have insisted
Oh the House figure for next year, but
il is not believed the question was
discussed in detail at that time. The
issue may be determined at today's
meeting
Senate Raised Total.
When the House passed the bill,
the total was $50 1903, ,404, which was
q reduction of slightly more than
slOO0,00O below the budget figure.
The Senate raised the total to S42,-
785,000 to make provision for about
IA school building projects, an in
crease of 141 men in the size of the
police force approximately $780, 900
for various public welfare needs,
Sl20.863 to broaden the preventive
work of the Health Department, and
also restored cuts the House had made
in gasoline tax street paving and
water fund improvements.
The special gas tax and Water De-
partment accounts will be ample to
take care of the paving and water
improvements the Senate allowed.
After deciding that the Federal Gov
ernment should pay more adequate
sum toward upkeep of the Capital
city. the Senate was able to place
in the bill the various other improve
ments chargeable to the general
revenue fund.
Program May Be Lost.
H. as was indicated last month,
however, the tentative agreements
bring the bill back to about the bud
get total, it means that the school
building program, most of the addi-
tional police positions and number
of other Senate increases are due
TO be lost. The tentative program
called for compromise on 35 addi-
tional policemen.
When the estimates were submitted
In January. District officials figured
the District would have a balanced
budget. if the Federal payment re-
manned at $780, 900. Since that time,
however, deficiency items for the re-
mainder of this year amounting to
about Sl50,000 have been recon-
mended. The Districts revenue Sit
uation for the coming year, therefore
depends on what final agreement the
conferees make on the total of the
new bill and the size of the Federal
share.