Evening star., 1936-04-14
THOMAS TO URGE
GREATER V|GOR IN
CITING D. c. NEEDS
Senator to Suggest More
ForcefuI Presentations
by Commissioners.
REVISION OF BILL DUE
TO RAISE HEALTH ITEMS
Restoration of SIS, 1000 Federal
Share Seen as House Meas
use Is Altered.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Adoption of a more vigorous policy
by local officials in presenting future
needs of the city to the Budget Bureau
will be suggested to the Commissioners
by Chairman Thomas of the Senate
Subcommittee now working on the 1887
District supply bill.
Meanwhile, there were indications
the subcommittee is likely to allow
increases above the budget figures for
public health, and restore cuts made
by the House in budget figures for
other purposes, when it meets, probably
tomorrow, to revise the House measure.
The subcommittee is expected to re-
store the Federal share to the budget
recommendation of $500, 900, which
the House slashed to s2,700,000.
AS chairman of the subcommittee,
Senator Thomas wrote to Representa-
tive Blanton of Texas today, inform
ing him of the subcommittee's decision
not to grant the Texans request to
take part in the Senate hearings
which closed late yesterday.
The letter is not being made pub
lie. The Senate subcommittee took
the position, however. that, while it is
glad to have individual members come
before it on some specific item. 1t
would be against its policy to allow
either Senators or Representatives to
appear for the purpose of making gen.
eral statements regarding handling Of
the bill.
Glass Offered Objection.
Shortly after Blanton. under whose
direction the House reduced the Fed
eral payment by $4,000 900. asked for
the hearing, Chairman Glass of the
entire Senate Appropriations Com
mittee registered his objection. 1t is
understood a poll showed the subcom-
mittee agreed with the position taken
by Senator Glass.
The decision of Senator Thomas to
confer soon with the Commissioners
is a result of the impression left with
members of the subcommittee yester-
day by Budget Director Daniel w. Bell
and his staff, who were represented
as contending the District usually is
allowed estimates the Commissioners
fight for and show are necessary.
Senator Thomas said he already has
talked briefly with Commissioner
Hazen and plans to follow this up
later with a conference to advise
them that they should be more en-
thusiastic and positive in presenting
their needs to the Budget Bureau in
the first instance
Bell and Aides Called.
Budget Director Daniel w. Bell and
several of his aides were called in by
the Senate Subcommittee in executive
session yesterday afternoon to explain
the methods they use in cutting the
estimates of the Commissioners. both
for public health and other municipal
activities.
The conference served to emphasize.
The conference served to en-
phasize the extent to which wash
ington is subjected to Federal control,
through the Budget Bureau, although
IS per cent of the local budget comes
from District taxpayers, under the
$500, 600 lump sum Federal payment.
In this connection Senator Cope
land, Democrat, of New York is un-
derstood to have raised the point that
District taxpayers are not complain
ing about the additional funds asked
in the budget estimates.
According to Senator Thomas. the
Budget Bureau officials took the po-
sition they cannot recognize the re-
quests of civic delegations. but must
60 by estimates submitted by the
proper officials.
Ruffin Committee Heard.
The Budget Bureau nevertheless
granted a hearing recently to civic
committee headed by DR.. Sterling
Ruffin, which had been appointed at
a public mass meeting to advocate in
creased health funds. Commissioner
Hazen pointed out today that he ac-
companied the delegation at that
hearing and joined in asking for the
additional funds. And while sup
Elemental estimate has not been SUBJ
mitted for these health funds, local
officials point out that the items
asked for at the recent hearing were
items the Commissioners had sub
(See D. c. BILL, Page A-4)