Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-26
BY JESSE c. SUTER.


WI the past week. OF out
4 4 standing Importance was
the progress made by the District
1887 appropriation bill. The bill
was reported to the Senate on
Wednesday and passed late Thurs
day. The bill restores most Of the
Budget Bureau recommendations
and retains most of the House
additions. The lump sum Is re-
stored to IS, 100000 as recommend
ed by the President. Among the
amendments added by the Senate
committee is one increasing the
police force by so privates.
Throughout civic circles Is heard
the warmest praise of Senator
Elmer Thomas, Democrat, OF Okla
homa, chairman of the subcom-
mittee and his colleagues for the
great Improvement made in the bill.
While those citizens who have
given the closest study of the Dis
trict's needs are far from salts
fed at the failure to provide more
adequately for public health and
hospitals they recognize the very
difficult situation which confronted
the Senate Subcommittee.
District citizens are now in for
another period Of real anxiety and
"watchful waiting" while the bill
poes through the trials and trlbu.
lations known only to a District
appropriation bill in conference.
Prayers will be fervently offered
that the fair position Of the Senate
will prevail and the House Will
recede from its unfortunate and
inequitable position.
Prospects for other District legis-
lation do not look very bright.
The District tomorrow loses its
regular day to the Federal tax bill.
Unless an extra day is allotted the
next will be May II. 1t was ex-
pected that the Sisson bill to re-
peal THE Little Red Rider" would
lie considered tomorrow, but losing
the day has upset that calcula-
ton. Just what other bills will be
reached before adjournment no
one can tell. There are several bills
passed by the Senate which have
had no action by the House COM
mittee.
Two events of the week of par
ticular interest are the dedication
of the four new wings completing
the modern Children's Tubercu-
losis Sanatorium at Glendale, Md.
and the announcement Of the &C
ceptance by the Capital Transit
and the Washington Rapid Transit
Companies of the merger terms laid
down by the Public Utilities Com
mission. The first mentioned event
was celebrated with appropriate
ceremony and sincere civic rejoic-
ing. Civic workers are inclined to
withhold their rejoicing over the
transit merger until they learn just
what benefits the riding public will
enjoy from the physical joining Of
these two transportation systems.
n is expected that benefits will be
realized in a far shorter time than
was the case OF the street railway
merger for there are no trackage
problems involved.
Appointment by the President Of
three of the members Of the Airport
Commission opens the way for
completion of its membership by
appointment of the other members
by the Senate and House. The Dis
trict's representative on the COM
mission is the engineer commits
sioner. In civic circles the COM
mission is regarded as strictly a
National Government body ap-
pointed to locate a site for a ma
tional airport at the National
Capital They claim it should
logically follow that Federal funds
should finance the project.
A comprehensive public school ex-
pansion program has been COM
pleted by the Board of Education
and will be included in a bill to be
introduced in Congress shortly. To
avoid exciting any suspicion among
some of the citizens the board will
abandon the idea of using the old
title of a Five Year Plan" but will
instead designate it the 1937-1942
school expansion program.
X X X X
The Commissioners have been
seeking authority to establish a
farm for the treatment of habitual
drunkards. One of the difficulties
has been the financing of the prof.
ect. The Lincoln Park Citizens
Association, at its meeting early in
the week, passed resolution in
dorsing a bill not yet introduced,
which might be added to the Com
missioners' bill. 1t would impose a
special tax on liquor dealers which
would be applied to the support of
the wives and dependent minor
children of inebriates. The tax
would also be applied to provide a
sum from which persons injured
and dependents and heirs of per-
sons killed by those under the in
fuence of liquor.
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