Evening star., 1935-04-24
.C0NFEREES LEAVE
D. c. B|[LF0R TIME:
PROGRESS IS MADE
Compromises Are Reached
on Detailed Items of
Budget.
FEDERAL SHARE STILL
is BASIS OF DISPUTE
In General, Members of House
Oppose Increases Put In
by Senate.

After reaching compromises on de-
tailed items that would place the 1886
District appropriation bill approxi-
mately at the level of the Budget Bu-
reau total, the conferees have ad-
journed for few days, with the Fed
eral share and several other impor-
tant issues still in disagreement.
This would mean raising the House
bill from s3s,30s, ,4o4 to somewhere
above 4O,300,000, but would be sub
stantial reduction below the Senate
total of s42, ,785 .O0O These figures are
still tentative, however, since num-
ber of items are undetermined, includ-
ing the S87,540 for character educa-
ton in the schools and more than
100000 of Senate increases for Gal
linger Hospital
1t is understood a tentative agree
ment has been reached for 35 addi-
tional policemen, instead of the 141
approved by the Senate. The House
bill did not allow any increase in the
police force.
With few exceptions, the general
attitude of the House conferees is re-
ported to have been against allowing
those Senate increases which went
above the budget recommendation.
School Projects May Lose.
This means the Senate is likely to
lose all but few of the new school
building projects it added to the bill.
After hearing the petitions of neigh
borhood organizations, the Senate pro-
vided a new school building program
amounting to Sl,615,500. There were
approximately IA projects on the pro-
gram. Adherence to the budget esti-
mates will eliminate all but three of
the smaller items.
On the basic issue of what should
be the Federal share of the bill, the
House conferees are understood to be
insisting on the House figure of S.
100000, which the Senate increased
to S8,317,500. The Senate group,
headed by Senator Thomas of Okla
homa. is still standing for a more
equitable sum than the House figure.
and the discussion on this question
will be resumed when the conferees
meet again
The 35 additional policemen merely
will fill vacancies in the force result
ing from economy legislation of the
past two years. Civic and business
organizations made a vigorous plea
to the Senate for the larger number
the Senate approved, calling attention
to the growth of the city since the
last increase in the force was made.
Education Fund Cut Out.
The character education fund was
recommended by the Budget Bureau,
but cut out in the House. Senator
Copeland, Democrat, of New York,
| who sponsored this innovation in the
appropriation act for the current year.
feels it would be mistake to end the
experiment after one year.
The New York Senator who re-
Gently made an inspection tour of
Gallinger Hospital. also is urging re-
tention of Senate amendments which
he regards as essential to enable that
institution to render adequate service
to the community.
On the fiscal relations issue Of how
the expenses of the National Capital
should be apportioned between the
Federal and local governments. the
conference is in the position it has
found itself for several years past,
with the House objecting to any in
crease. The Senate, in almost every
year since the lump sum practice of
Federal payment began, has fought to
bring the apportionment nearer to
an -quitable level, but in the past
few years has found the House in
sisting on its own figures.