Evening star., 1937-09-29
COLLINS TO STUDY
DISTRICT NEEDS IN
|. PERSONAL SURVEY
Plans Extensive Inspection
Trip Prior to Hearings
on 1889 Budget.
REYNOLDS PROPOSES
CUT IN D. C. TAXES
Senator Also Backs Study of
Fiscal Relations to Determine
Equitable U. S. Payment.

Chairman Collins of the House Sub
committee on District Appropriations
disclosed today he planned to make a
personal survey of number of munic-
ipal institutions and public schools
before he begins hearings on the 1899
District supply bill.
Hearings are scheduled to start No.
vember IS. Collins came to Washing
ton recently on personal business, but
is returning to his home in Meridian.
Miss, and expects to come back about
November J..
The purpose of the inspection expe-
dition. Collins said. is to learn at first
hand the needs of some of the District
institutions so he will be in a position
more intelligently TO pass on their
1889 budget estimates. Attention will
be centered on Gallinger Municipal
Hospital, the Jail, reformatory and
workhouse. institutions in which Col
Inns has taken deep interest since
becoming chairman of the subcom-
mittee.
To Study Traffic.
1t also is Collins intention to spend
several days with Capt. H. c. White
hurst, director of highways, inspect
ing streets and studying the program
he has mapped out for relieving traf-
fic congestion by widening streets,
construction Of SubWays under circles
and erection of an elevated high-speed
highway on K street connecting with
Key Bridge.
Collins and several members of his
subcommittee made a similar inspec-
tion trip prior to the budget hearings
last year, but the investigation this
year is to be more extensive
AS prelude to the budget hearings.
Alton B. Carly. chairman of the Com
mittee on Taxation of the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association, wrote to
Chairman Palmisano of the House
District Committee indorsing his plan
to extend the powers of the Commits
sioners and give them complete control
over the budget.
Palmisano believes that in any
scheme of reorganization of the Dis
trict government, provision should be
made to divorce both the Budget
Bureau and Congress from their con-
troll over municipal finances.
Would Raise Payment.
Carly also suggested that the
amount of the Federal payment toward
District expenses be figured on the
basis of the value of tax-exempt lana
occupied by the United States. which,
he estimated, would now amount to
about S9000,000 year. He said the
value of Improvements should be ex-
cluded as they would be of little value
to any one other than for Government
activity"
Carty's letter is to be referred to
special subcommittee of the District
Committee, headed by Representative
Kennedy, Democrat of Maryland.
which has been studying varous plans
for recognizing the municipal gov
ernment in the interest of efficiency
and economy.
The next session of Congress should
make every effort to reduce Washing
tons tax burden by considering care
| fully the size of the new District
budget, Senator Reynolds, Democrat.
North Carolina, declared.
Instead of adding any more to the
| city's tax levy, our aim should be to
hold down the tax load by avoiding in
creased expenditures wherever 1t can
be done without seriously impairing
municipal functions" said Reynolds
Urges Fiscal Readjustment.
The North Carolinian added he
| thinks Congress should give further
| study to the fiscal relations problem
during the coming Winter t. determine
what would be an equitable Federal
payment in view of the increased cost
of running the National Capital in re-
cent years. Although the last session
added approximately S9,000000 to the
local community's tax schedule, 1t left
unchanged the Federal payment of
s5.000,O00 toward total appropriation
act of about 460O0,000.
There have been reports from the
District Building in recent weeks that
the new budget may reach a total of
S50,000,000 At the same time there
are indications that the House SUBJ
committee in charge of District ap-
preparations is not disposed to go above
S48, 100000.
Senator Reynolds expression Of hope
that taxes may be lowered rather than
raised any higher is in line with the
plea of number of civic leaders. who
have urged local officials to avoid a
heavy increase in the budget
Regardless of the total figure finally
fixed by the Budget Bureau for next
years outlay congressional commit
tees will reopen the tax problem when
they reconvene, since most of the re-
cent tax schedule was regarded as
temporary.