Evening star., 1937-05-19

$7.5OO,O00 figure. because that cost has
already been taken into consideration
Meanwhile Chairman Kennedy OF
the House tax group was proceeding
under instructions from his colleagues
to prepare tentative draft of tax
sprogram to be submitted for decision
at meeting of his subcommittee early
next week.
AS the appropriation bill left the
House. carrying s45,228 900, of which
the Federal share would be $4,000, 900
the local community faced the neces.
slty Of raising s6,l00,000 Of additiona,
taxes to meet the District share.
Thomas for Taxation.
Senator Thomas believes the Dis
trlct should balance its budget for the
coming year through taxation, and is
understood to be considering the pos.
sibility of having the supply bill itself
carry the tax amendments to make il
balance.
The views subsequently expressed
by Representative Kennedy and Sena-
tor King indicate, however, that the
question of committee jurisdiction
may check any move to make the tax
olIls part OF the appropriation
measure. In the regular course OF
events new laws, such as new forms
OF taxation, pass through the House
and Senate Legislative Committees.
Senator Thomas indicated last
night he would consider adding tax
proposals to the supply bill only if il
Is found possible to do so in a con-
st1tutional and regular way. He sug-
gested, for instance, that If there is
any provision in the appropriation
bill as it came from the House relat-
Ing to the raising of taxes the door
would be open and the Senate could
consider amending such a provision
At the same time, he made it clear
he had no desire to force an issue OF
jurisdiction as between the legislative
and approprlating committees, but was
seeking only to be of assistance in
eXpedlting settlement of the Dis
trlcts impending fiscal problems.
Jurisdiction Question Before.
1t was similar question of juris-
diction that led to the elimination bv
the House of list of legislative pro-
visions the House Appropriations Com
mittee had written into the District
supply bill two months ago. On the
floor members of the House District
Committee had most of them stricken
out on points of order
The time element, meanwhile, Is
beginning to enter into the situation
Although Congress may be in session
most Of the Summer, less than six
weeks remain to complete the Dis
trict's budget problems in time fol-
the beginning of the new fiscal year.
In this connection, District officials
indicated today they are somewhat
concerned over how long it would take
to get the collection machinery in
operation, even if the tax bills to
meet the anticipated deficit are en-
acted between now and June 80.
Because of this concern the Com
missioners suggested to the Senate
subcommittee yesterday that Congress
restore to them the authority they had
for many years prior to 1927 to obtain
advances from the Federal Govern.
ment to meet monthly operating ex-
penses Of the city early in the flsca,
year and return the money to the
Treasury as local taxes are collected
during the year.
Reserve Fund Ordered.
This arrangement prevailed for 6
. considerable period of time, but IL
1922 CONGRESS directed the District n
build up within five years a reserv.
fund sufficient to enable the city tx
start each fiscal year on a pay-as-y you
go monthly basis after 1927.
The Commissioners explained yes
terday that, with the District facing .
large deficit under the pending ap
preparation bill, if it should take sew
eral months or longer to get the nev
tax bills into operation, the city nigh