Evening star., 1936-04-03
HEARING PLANNED
ON PROPOSED RISE
IN DISTRICT TAXES
More Local Relief Funds to
Be Discussed by Senate
Group.
HIGHER GASOLINE TAX
IS SOUGHT BY HAZEN
Added Money Would Be Used to
Put Jobless on Road Work,
Commissioner Says.

Senator Thomas, Democrat OF Okla
homa. chairman of the Senate District
Appropriations Subcommittee, has no.
tilted Commissioner Melvin c. HaZen
that he will set aside one day in the
hearings of the pending 1887 supply
bill to determine whether District
taxes should be raised and whether
more money can be provided for relief
next year.
The Senator offered to take up the
subject when Hazen apprised him of
his plan to increase the gasoline tax
cent. This would raise Sl,000,000, and
Hazen proposes to use it to employ
jobless relief clients in road construc-
ton. He also hopes to find a source
has made no decision as to where to
seek this money.
Mote: In past years Congress has
refused to appropriate all the funds
received as proceeds Of the existing
gasoline tax rate. In the pending
District appropriation bill, as passed
by the House, there is, on the basis
of present estimates, an unused
gasoline tax surplus of over $500 900,
despite extraordinary bridge building
items)
Meanwhile, the Commissioners and
members of the Board Of Public We'll
fare are still awaiting word from
Daniel w. Bell, acting director of the
budget, as to when he will grant a
hearing on the second request for a
supplemental appropriation of $685. 1000
to take care of the city's able bodied
needy until the end of the fiscal year.
Hazen Clings to Proposal.
Hazen has not given up his support
Of the higher gasoline tax despite oppo-
sition. The American Automobile AS
sociation has led the assault on the
proposal promising a fight to the
finish"
THE automobile association" Hazen
said, apparently misunderstands my
proposal. They say this will be form
of diversion, but it will not. They say
we should first make a road-building
plan and then determine if we need
to raise taxes.
LAS matter of fact, we have COM
prehensive long-range road-building
program for the District now, and with
the Sl,000000 we propose to raise
would merely continue the program
"Our highway department doesn't
have the money it needs anyway. If
we hadn't had Federal contribution
last year. our streets and highways
would be in terrible fix.
Sees Double Purpose.
This plan will kill two birds with
one stone 1t will give the highway
department money enough to continue
its operations and at the same time
provide jobs for people who can't get
them any other way"
Hazen said the proposal will not be
acted upon formally by the Commits
sioners at today's meeting, but that
the matter will be presented directly
to Senator Thomas subcommittee
when he calls them to Capitol Hill.
Another development came in the
relief situation today when the Com
munity Chest, in a statement, reported
the number of applications for relief
has quadrupled since the District cut
its rolls Wednesday and announced
'it is impossible for the Chest to
assume responsibility for Washing
tons abnormal relief situation"
While admitting that practically
all the applicants are in desperate
etpoffc 1f
statement said: ITO take on any
additional families at the present time,
Chest family agencies would have to
cut of other families equally worthy
and to divert other Chest funds to
this work would mean putting the sick
and injured out of hospitals, failing
to care for the sick in their homes
and putting orphans back on the
streets"
Employables Apply.
Many of the applicants, men listed
as employables, are without work and
the stopping of their relief checks
means eviction from homes and no
money for food for their families, the
Chest officials reported. Other men,
shifted to the Works Progress Admin
tstration, received their last relief
checks on March 16 and will receive
no w. P. A. checks until the middle of
April. In the meantime, they face
eviction from their shelters.
Applications at the Applications
Bureau of the Chest have more than
quadrupled since April l." the Chest
statement said, land practically every
applicant is a person affected by the
curtailment of public relief funds.
Some Of the 'employables' are fresh
from hospitals and unable to take
Jobs at present. At least one is handi-
capped by the loss of an arm, which
seems to prevent his obtaining work,
although he is a good painter and
paperhanger."
The Chest cited as a typical case
that of a man with a wife and three
small children. The man has just
been assigned to a w. P. A. job, but
will not be paid until April 18. His
last relief check was received on March
IS. Meanwhile, his rent is due and
there is no food in the house. The
man has been LII until recently.
Family With Six Children.
Another applicant was a woman
whose husband formerly worked for
the Public Assistance Division. The
couple has six children, all under 8
years Of age. The family has been
on relief since the father was forced
to stop work six months ago. When
the woman appeared at the Chest
Office she stated her children had had
no breakfast and they had no pros
poets Of luncheon or dinner. She