Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-27
DISTRICT HARD HIT
THROUGH FAILURE
OF DEFICIENCY BILL
Aged and Blind Will Be De-
MED Pensions Until
Next Year.
SMOKE LAW CONTROL
ENFORCEMENT V0IDED
$4,000 for Public Order Cost
for Colored Elks' and Shrine
Conventions Killed.

Adjournment of Congress last night
without passing the last deficiency bill
left the District of Columbia without
funds to start payment of old-age
pensions and pensions to the blind
under two of the local social security
laws.
There was no apparent way open to
the District to obtain these funds until
Congress returns in January, even
though the Federal Government may
be able to get the national social Sc
curity money from some governmental
agency, regardless of failure of the
deficiency bill. All District funds are
appropriated for specific purposes, and
the city is forbidden by its organic act
from borrowing money except when
authorized by Congress for specific
purposes.
The District old-age pension law
provides that it shall not take effect
until 80 days after its passage, which
would be November "a Since Con-
gress will be back January g. the de-
lay will not be so long in starting
those pensions as in the case Of pen
sions for the blind, which could have
been paid Immediately.
District Items Killed.
The death of the deficiency bill
killed the following local items:
For beginning payment of old-age
pensions, 100000.
For pensions for the blind, $4,000
Et1r- "a NJ
law, $4,000.
To pay the cost of public order ar
rangementS for the colored Elks' and
Shrine conventions, $4,000.
For additional personnel in the
Court of Appeals, $3.50.
Fees for jurors and witnesses in the
District Supreme Court, s3.292.
For miscellaneous claims, more than
$1,000.
Failure Of this bill last night re-
called an almost identical occasion
about 10 years ago, when deficiency
bill was f1libustered to death IN the
hour of adjournment. That bill con-
tanned part of the salaries which Con-
gress had intended to pay certain local
employees that year, including police
men and f1remen.
The national social security law pro-
videS for Federal grants to match local
payments for old-age and blind pen
sions provided for by State and local
laws, except that for the first two
years the Federal grant could be paid
regardless of matching in those States
which must amend their constitutions
before they can enact local laws.
Where the District would stand be-
tween now and January on the queS-
ton of receiving the Federal share OF
these pensions, since it has the re-
uuired local laws but no money to pay
them, presented fine problem which
legal experts had not had time to
study last night.
The national also provides for allot-
ment of Federal funds to help the
States set up the administrative ma
chinery for unemployment insurance
laws, and District officials thought last
night that if the Federal money is
availabel the District probably would
get its allotment for administration of
tne Unemployment law.
Preliminary Plans to Be Made.
Preliminary moves to launch the
unemployment insurance program
must be started at once, although
Congress has failed to pass the ap-
preparations bill, Corporation Counsel
Prettyman said.
Search for a highly qualified" d.
rector for this phase of the social Sc
curity program here is to be begun
this week.