Evening star., 1937-06-23
SUPPLY BILL MOVE
DUE TOMORROW
Senate Hearing on Tax Pro.
gram Delayed by Con-
terees' Meeting.
BY ]. A. OLEARY.

District appropriation bill will return
TO the limelight for the next few days.
Shortly after Chairman King Of the
Senate District Committee had set 10
am tomorrow for the opening of tax
hearings he learned the conferees on
the supply bill had arranged to hold
their first meeting on the same
morning.
Hurried consultation resulted in the
decision to give the appropriation
measure the right of way, since it is
more imperative to have the supply
bill law by July than to have the
tax measure enacted by that date.
1t was pointed out by District
of1lcials that, whereas the money to
run the city after June 3O-next
Wednesday-depends on passage of
the appropriation bill, no serious COM
plications would result if the tax bill
becomes law by July Is.
Tax Hearings Monday.
The tentative new date for the tax
hearings is 10 am. Monday. This
means the tax bill will run over into
July. 1t was not feasible to have
both the appropriation conferees and
the Tax Committee meeting at the
same time, because Senators King
Glass and Copeland are members OF
both groups.
1he temporary tax delay will give
District residents and municjpa]
officials a few more days in which tc
analyze the effects Of the levies
adopted by the House, and to prepare
thelr suggestions for the Senate
Committee.
Another advantage is that by Mon.
Gay the committee handling the ia,
DILL VIII have better idea of lust how
much new revenue the District needs
because there is difference O,
$l,5oo,oo0 in the amount of the deflci
involved IN the conference on the
appropriation bill.
In other words, appropriations ad.
Vocated by the House leave the Dis.
trlct with deficit of s6,OOO,OO0 to bt
met by new taxes, while Senate in.
creases raised the estimated deficit tt
s7,50O,0O0. If the conferees. headed
by Senator Thomas of Oklahoma ane
Representative Collins of Mississippi
compromise their differences, the de.
f1cit will be about $1,000, 900 or a littl.
less.
Program Held Temporary.
There is a growing feeling at the
Senate end Of the Capitol that the
pending tax bill should be regarded
only as a temporary program for the
approaching fiscal year, to be reviewed
more carefully and ct greater Length
In the next session.
In this connection, Chairman Kins
announced he will support the recon
mendation the Commissioners plan Il
submit for a small appropriation 70,
q complete survey of the local ia,
situation during the recess. King
however, wants the study to include
reorganization Of municipal depart.
| ments.
Senator King revealed today tina
when the tax hearings start he vii
suggest that civic organizations ane
| taxpayers be heard ahead of tn,
Commissioners. While the Commis.
sioners are expected to have some
| amendments ready to offer to the
House plan, King believes it woule
be helpful if the municipal official!
are advised of the viewpoint of tn.
community, as it develops in th
hearings, before they present theil
| own recommendations.
The only important changes tn,
| Commissioners ara reported to be con
| sidering so far are elimination of tn
chain store tax and restoration of tn
authority to borrow from the Treasur,
pending tax collection early in tn,
fiscal year.
Other witnesses, however, are ex
pected to discuss various alternative
for some of the House revenue sched
ules There probably will be mucf
testimony regarding the effects o
the business privilege tax on the gros
receipts of virtually all mercantil.
establishments, and individuals fol
lowing vocations or professions, excep
persons working for a salary.
Deficiency Appropriation.
After the tax bill has been fnall,
agreed on between House and Sena te
the Commissioners will have one NOR
last-minute problem before adjourn
ment, namely, to get a deficiency ap
preparation through Congress for tn
additional personnel and machiner,
they realize will be needed to admin
ister the new taxes. They will no
attempt to estimate the number o
new employees until the forms of taxa
ton are definitely settled.
Interest in the appropriation con
ference tomorrow will center aroun,
reorganization Of several municipa
activities, provided for by riders to tn
bill, and still In dispute.
The Senate struck out House pro
visions designed to transfer part O
the playground system from th'
Fairgrounds Department to the Com
munity Center Once, and transfer o
the Business License Bureau from tn
assessor to the Office of Weights an
Measures. The Senate, on the othe
hand. proposed transfer of publi
hospitals and medical charities from
the Public Welfare Board to tn
Health Department, which originated
in the House Subcommittee but wen
out on the floor Of the House.
There are also numerous increase
in the size Of appropriations to b
settled, including the question
whether a new Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridge, southeast, should be startet
or the old bridge repaired.