Evening star., 1936-01-12


transit hearing and began a hear
ing on the rates Of the Potomac
Electric Power Co. with a view
to a reduction Of the rate of return
now allowed the company under
the sliding scale agreement. Among
the many shocks from the Budget
Bureau was the amplified gag
rule" on the District Commissioners
requiring them to first get approval
OF that bureau and the National
Emergency Council before advocat-
ing any legislative measures before
Congress.
The District Committees of both
Senate and House of Representa-
tives met for the first time of the
session and began discussion OF
matters to be taken up for action.
A committee representing the Fed
Grafton Of Citizens Associations at
tended these meetings and request
ed an investigation Of the use OF
text books In the District public
schools alleged to teach and adyo-
cate subversive un-American theo-
ries Of government.
The action of the federation au-
thorizing this action should really
be discussed as a happening Of the
past week. The meeting was held
Saturday night, January 4, but the
action in question was not COM
pleted, in the protracted session,
until early Sunday morning.
One item in the national budget
Is of special interest to the Dis
trict-the proposition to erect
new building for the General Ac-
counting once in a location other
than judiciary Square instead OF
the proposed additions and re-
modelling of the old Pension Build
ing. This will, II carried out, clear
the way for the courts group on
Judiciary Square. The suggested
new location for the General Ac-
counting ONCE Building is on Inde-
pendence avenue, near the Capitol.
Many Civic Problems Unsolved
BY District 1887 Budget.
A MONG the civic bodies there
appears to be some few spots
in the District budget which meets
with approval in a few of these
civic circles. There are few lead
ers. If any, who acclaim it as a
good piece of work. They label 1t
as inadequate, inequitable, unbal-
anced, undigested and generally
unsatisfactory. The nearly uni
form verdict seems to be that II
further reasons were needed for
taking the District budget out Of
the Federal bureau. they are to
be found in abundance in the docu-
ment which went to Congress Mon
day.
In the past leaders have pom
dered over the question as to just
what line Of reasoning the Budget
Bureau followed to arrive at such
illogical and inequItable conclu-
sions. These leaders have never
been able to figure out just how it
comes that the bureau is, appar-
emily, unable to depart from the
unfair and inadequate Federal
share-the lump sum Of $5,700, 900.
That problem Of fiscal relations
continues as acute as ever-the key
to a method for the rational financ- ,
ing Of the National Capital.
AS to the meeting Of the urgent
school needs, the budget barely
scratches the surface. One Of the
most insistent demands Of the citi-
zen organizations has been for the
erection of additional schools and
additions to some existing build
ings. A girls vocational school
building to replace the Dennison,
to be erected on the DItrict-owned
tract near the tuberculosis Hos
pital is the only new building in
cluded but there are provisions for
additions to the Lafayette, Hardy
Finish four rooms), Truesdell,
Grimke, Young and Paul Junior
High buildings. Provision is made
for completion Of the Anacostia
Senior Junior High School and the
only ground to be purchased for
school purposes is for the John F.
Cook School.
There is rejoicing in these neigh
borhoods at the prospect Of getting
some relief but from other sections
there is heard the most bitter
complaints at the failure to meet
their needs.
Petworth rejoices over the item
to begin the erection of the branch
library for that section but Ana
costa is disappointed not to have
provision made for the purchase OF
land for its branch library. South
east is jubilant over an item OF
$4,000 for the preparation OF
plans for a new bridge over the
Anacostia River at Pennsylvania
avenue but the Conduit Road Citi-
zens' Association is disappointed at
the omission of some provision
looking toward replacement Of the
old Chain Bridge.
Cuts in the earmarked gas tax
and water revenue are features OF
the budget for which the civic
bodies fail to see any reason. They
point to needed additional highway
work and also to the many water
meters to be replaced and addi-
tional ones to be installed to put
all water users on an accurate
metered service.
The prospective surplus which
the budget shows appears to COM
pletely obviate the necessity for the
finding of sources of additional
revenue. But there Is little re-
joicing over a probable surplus in
the face of so many unmet urgent
municipal needs.
Now that the terrible budget
secret Is out the civic bodies will
endeavor to persuade the Con-
gressional Appropriations Commit
tees to add other items for their
sections.
"Gag Rule" Expected to Cramp
Commissioners Legislative Style.
HERETOFORE the Commission
ers have been required to sub
init to the Budget Bureau any pro-
s~l- ,k>S Ill,