Evening star., 1935-06-04
D. c. BILL HEADED
TOWARD PASSAGE
Senate Forced to Yield to
House Conferees-TotaI
Is s4o,54s,ooo
BY J. A. o,LEARY.


with the Federal share remaining at
the present basic figure Of IS, TOO 900,
is heading toward final passage fol-
lowing an agreement late yesterday
in which the Senate conferees again
had to give way to the House on most
major questions.
The Senate had voted for q school
building program, q substantial addi-
ton to the police force and essential
public health and hospital amend
ments, which raised the total Of the
bill six weeks ago TO $42. .785, 900. And,
recognising the plea Of local citizens
for return to more equitable pay
ment by the United States toward the
expenses of its Capital, the Senate also
had raised the Federal lump sum to
$8,317 500 to meet the greater part of
these added improvements.
In conference, however, history re-
peated itself. The House conferees
insisted 1t would have to be the House
figure on the Federal payment, and
the Senate group, having kept the bill
in conference for more than a month,
once more had to yield late yesterday
on this issue, as they have had to do
IN all but a few instances since the
lump sum practice began more than q
decade ago.
Senate Loses Increase.
The Senate also lost large part of
the $3.452,215 1t had added to the
House bill for municipal improve
ments. but this was inevitable, since
$2,617 500 Of those improvements were
to have been met by the larger lump
sum. With the lump sum increase
lost, the District would have been I'm
no position to finance the Senate
amendments that were abandoned.
While the Districts obligations for
the coming year as the appropriation
bill now stands may run slightly above
anticipated revenue collections. Dis.
trict Auditor D. j. Donovan expressed
the belief today the variation would
not be sufficient to affect the present
tax rate.
When the budget was submitted to
Congress in January. totaling $40
374.822. 1t was estimated that If the.
Federal share remained at $5,700,000
District revenues would come within
$500 of meeting the remainder of the
total. In other words, the city would
have had substantially q balanced
budget. Since that time, deficiencies
and supplemental items for the re-
mainder Of the current year have been
submitted to Congress to the amount
Of $500, 900. OF this amount, about
$l50,000 represents deficiencies that
were not taken into account In esti-
mating the balanced budget in jan
uary. In addition the new 1896 bill
as 1t now stands exceeds the budget
estimates by $l73.178. It would ap-
pear, therefore, that District obliga-
tions for the coming year may run
1923 900 above estimated revenue
receipts.
Revenue May FIuctuate.
District officials did not regard this
as difference suiicient to cause any
immediate concern, pointing out that
actual revenue collections may fiuctu-
ate above advance estimates.
When the final conference was held
yesterday, after q recess of several
weeks, and the lump sum question
was being discussed, Representative
Blanton. Democrat, Of Texas, Is un-
derstood to have suggested that If any
change were proposed, and the House
had q chance to vote on it, 1t would
do away entirely with the Federal con-
tribution.
Besides the Federal share, there
were two other main issues remaining
to be settled when the conferees met
Observation-Disclosures education in the
schools and much-needed increased
maintenance for Gallinger Hospital.
The House yielded and left in the
$87,540 for continuing character edu-
cation for another year, but on GAL
linger Hospital the Senate did not fare
50 well, losing $l46,242 Of the in
crease in the Senate bill and retain
ing an increase Of only $17,300.
Three School Increases Retained.
One of the major cuts the con-
ferees made was in school buildings
and grounds. The Senate ha6 put
In q program Of Is projects. but
lost 13 Of them in conference. The
three Senate increases retained we're:
For completing and improving the
grounds of Woodrow Wilson High
School, $4,000; Tor improvements at
Armstrong High School, $70,000, and
for purchase Of additional land at
Phelps Vocational School, SIS, 900.
Four other building and ground items
In the original House bill remain,
namely: For an eight-room building
on the old John F. Cook site, $110.-
900; an addition to the Eliot Junior
High School, 10 class rooms and gym
nasium, $175,000; eight-room addi-
ton to Randall Junior High, 500 900,
and beginning an addition to Ana
costa Junior High, for senior high
purposes, $3.50, 1000. The original House
bill allowed only $685. for these
aforementioned items. The Senate
program would have raised the build
ing program to $2,250, 900. The con-
ference agreement leaves $830,0g for |
buildings and grounds.
The Police Department will get IS
additional policemen, compromise.
The House bill contained no increase,
while the Senate voted for l41 new
positions.
The Senate lost most of the increase
1t had made for the Health Depart
ment to broaden the program of pre-
vention Of disease. For Health De-
partment salaries an increase of
$61.240 was eliminated, while In
creases aggregating about $4,000 were
allowed for contagious disease work,
clinics and school hygiene.
Two Amendments Lost.
Under the gasoline tax paving fund, |
which Ia available only for street and |
bridge proiectS the Senate conferees |
lost two amendments. One was the |
$125, 900 which would have allowed |
the city to buy materials and use |
emergency relief workers on street
improvements. The other was the
$4,000 to draw plans for q new
Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge, south
east.
The Senate, however, saved the
5000, 900 item to build bridge over
the railroad tracks at Franklin street
northeast between Eighth and Ninth |