Evening star., 1936-02-16
BUDGET HEARING
S|DETRACKED BY
RED DISCUSSION
District Group PAGES Cor
ridors Awaiting House
Committee Call.
FRIES AND SULLIVAN
HEARD IN SCHOOL QUIZ
Civic Representatives Who Are
Not Reached in Funds Fight
Told to Return Tomorrow.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

More than so civic representatives
went to the Capitol yesterday to pre-
sent appeals for needed public i'm
provements, but waited vainly in the
corridors while the House Subcom-
rnittee on Appropriations in charge of
the 1887 District appropriation bill,
meeting behind closed doors, dis
cussed the subject Of communism and
its alleged inroads into the public
schools.
For three and a half hours, Rep
resentative Blanton, Democrat. OF
Texas, chairman of the subcommittee,
and the other members were closeted
with Mai. Gen. Amos A. Fries, former
head Of the Chemical Warfare Serv-
ice of the Army, and George E. Sui
livan Of the Federation of Citizens
Associations.
Gen. Fries and Sullivan were un-
usually reticent when they finally
emerged from the committee room,
which had been stocked in advance
with some of the text books criticized
because of reported communistic ten
denotes.
Long Wait in Corridors.
Gen. Fries spent more time with
the subcommittee than did Sullivan.
But in the meantime the civic lead
ers paced the corridors outside the
closed doors of the committee room,
awaiting an opportunity to stress
some of the necessary public i'm
hA hyyd
vide.
Blanton. champion of the so-called
"red rider" In the 1885 District ap-
preparation act, which forbids teach
ing or advocating communism in the
schools, is understood to be actively
preparing to fight the measure OF
Representative Sisson, Democrat, of
New York, which would modify and
clarity the anti communism rider.
A few of the civic representatives
were called before the subcommittee.
Those who failed to get into the COM
mittee room were told to return tomor-
row at 10:30 am. Blanton promised
every civic representative an oppor-
tunity to present recommendations.
Among those called before the sub
committees were Representative Smith,
Democrat, Of Virginia, and Roy Brad
en-, manager of Arlington County, Va,
who urged an appropriation of $3.50, 900
to begin the replacement of Chain
Bridge across the Potomac. The Com
missioners are understood to have
recommended this item, but it was
eliminated by the Budget Bureau.
Harry N. Stull. vice president Of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
was ready to 60 before the subcommit-
tee with recommendation for five
school projects-a new senior high
school for Manor Park and Takoma
Park, completion of the purchase Of
a site for the Jefferson Junior High
School, a two-room addition for the
Bunker Hill School, improvements at
the Dennison Vocation School, and
conversion Of the Eastern High School
gymnasium into class rooms and con-
struction Of new gymnasium.
$25,000 Sought for Lights.
An appropriation of $4,000 for ad-
ditional traffic lights, and transfer of
100000 of the gasoline tax fund to
the street cleaning department for
snow removal was to be asked by
Thomas j. Lewellyn, chairman of the
Safety Committee of the federation.
He said $25, 900 would provide traffic
lights at 1876 intersections where they
are needed.
Clayton Marsh of the Rhode Island
Avenue Citizens Association, appeared
to ask more money for the street
cleaning department. He explained
that while the length of the streets
to be cleaned had increased from
249 to 59s miles since 1920, the appro-
priation for the department remains
at the 1920 figure.
An increase in the personnel of the
Metropolitan Police Force was to be
urged by Mrs. Ernest Howard of the
District Federation of Women's Clubs.
She said the Traffic Bureau especially
needed additional equipment.
A delegation headed by Evan H.
Tucker was prepared to recommend
an increase in the estimates for the
Community Center Department. which
were reduced from $150, 900 to $50, 900.
Harry S. Wender of the Southwest
Citizens Association wanted to an
peal to the subcommittee to include
in the appropriation bill an item of
$lS5,000 to complete purchase of the
site for the proposed new jefferson
Junior High School
j.. l. Gammell of the Southeast
Council Of Citizens was prepared to
request q four-room addition to the
Buchanan School and an increase In
personnel in the eleventh police pre-
cinct.
An increase in the budget estimates
for the Health Department and addi-
tional guards at the District Jail were
to be asked by Col. Charles I. STEM
gle Of the American Federation Of
Government Employees. He also plan
ned to urge increased salaries for ma
irons In the Woman's Bureau of the
Police Department.