Evening star., 1937-06-03
D. c. SUPPLY BILL
PARLEY IS CALLED
BY SENATE GROUP
Commissioners and Donovan
TO Thresh Out Items
Affecting Taxes.
VIEWS ON RESTORATION
OF CUTS TO BE AIRED
Farley Tomorrow May Hold Fate
of Amount of Extra Levies
Needed.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY,


1888 District appropriation bill to be
decided within the next two or three
days by the Senate Subcommittee in
charge Of the bill, Chairman Thomas
of Oklahoma has called a final con-
ference for tomorrow morning with
the Commissioners and District Audi
tor Donovan to go over these major
questions.
While the local tax program is being
drafted separately in the House, the
amount of new revenue that will have
to be raised by that program will
depend to a large degree on how far
the Senate goes in adding to the ex-
penditures already in the supply bill as
Ii passed the House.
During the nearly three weeks of
hearings that ended yesterday, the
Senate Subcommittee received numer-
'ous petitions for restoration of reduc-
tions the House made in budget esti-
mates throughout the bill. Requests
also we're made to raise some items
above the budget.
May Need S8,500,O0 Additional
Without any Senate changes the
S45,228000 House bill, with the Federal
share fixed at S5,o0o0oO, makes it
necessary for the District to raise
about s6000,000 in new taxes 20 meet
the balance.
If the Senate puts back the House
cuts in budget figures the new tax load
would become S7,500,000, and if ST 000,-
900 should be added to the unemploy-
rent relief fund, as requested by some
civic and welfare groups, the new
revenue requirement would be $780,
900, officials estimate
The Senate Subcommittee heard a
conflict of opinion on the relief item,
with spokesmen for the Board of Trade
and Federation of Citizens Associ-
etions opposing the additional sum.
Regardless of the amount the Senate
decides to add to the total of the bill,
there is strong basis for the belief the
Treasury will be authorized to advance
funds to the District to meet its
monthly obligations during the early
part of the new fiscal year, the money
to be paid back by the city as quickly
as its local tax collections come in.
System Used Prior to 1927.
This arrangement between the Fed
eral and District governments existed
for many years prior to 1927, when
Congress required the District, which
has no power to borrow money in the
way other cities do, to get on pay
Rs-you-go basis District officials fear
that even if Congress passes new tax
bills sufficient to balance the pending
budget for 1888, it will take time to
put them into effect. During that
interval it would be essential, they
believe, to have restored the power
to obtain advances from the Treasury.
This will be one Of the questions of
policy to be discussed at tomorroWs
conference.
The conference with the Commits
stoners also is expected to relate to
the various changes of Jurisdiction
over municipal functions, and other
limitations in the House bill, some of
which are likely to be altered or
eliminated in the Senate.
Transfers to Be Discussed.
These include:
Transfer of hospital funds from the
Welfare Board to the Health Depart
ment, transfer of Is Fairgrounds from
The Fairgrounds Department to the
Community Center Department,
transfer of the function of issuing
business licenses from the assessors
office to the superintendent of weights
hnd measures, the limitation on
clerical work performed by school
teachers, and the question whether
the new Police Court Building should
be under supervision of the Commits
sioners or the judges. The House
already has eliminated the language
that would have shifted administrative
control over hospitals from Welfare
to Health, but left the hospital operat-
ing funds in the Health Departments
appropriation.
There are indications the Senate
group will be reluctant to order re-
arrangement of municipal activities
Through provisos in the appropriation
bill, instead of by separate legislation
Whether to repair the present
pennsylvania avenue southeast bridge
Or provide funds for beginning a new
structure at this time, is another i'm
portant question to be decided in the
Senate. The House voted $4,000 for
repairs, but in the Senate hearings
there was considerable discussion of
the advisability of replacing it with
d new suspension bridge. 1t is not
certain at this time what the sub
committee will decide