Evening star., 1937-05-23
BY ]. A, O'LEARY.

BY ]. A. O'LEARY.
As Senate hearings on the 1893 Dis
&ict supply bill enter the second
week, indications are that the Appro-
priations Subcommittee probably will
eliminate most Of the House provisions
that would transfer or reorganize GER
tain municipal activities.
Although decisions on these ques-
tions will not be reached until the
hearings end, there are signs of
feeling in the subcommittee that such
changes in the basic functions Of va
rious departments should be consid-
cred separately, rather than as riders
or provisos in the appropriation bill.
The House itself struck out or modi-
Ned some of the riders written into
the original draft of the bill, but as it
came to the Senate it still detained
some Of these changes, in whole or IN
part.
Provisions Awaiting Consideration.
Among the provisions still awaiting
Senate subcommittee consideration
are the following: Money for running
public hospitals, transferred from
Public Welfare to the Health Depart
ment: funds for the Welfare Boards
permit Office, transferred to Health
Department.; funds for operation of
IS Fairgrounds, transferred from
Fairgrounds Department to Commun-
ity Center Office; proposal to abandon
Children's Receiving Home on July l,
with a requirement that the children
be placed in boarding homes; proviso
that would deprive per diem workers
Of leave.
The subcommittee, presided over
by Chairman Elmer Thomas of Okla
homa, hopes to complete the testi-
mony of District officials tomorrow,
and begin Tuesday hearing the more
than one hundred individuals and
spokesmen for civic and trade bodies
that have asked to be heard
During the hearings for civic groups,
a large delegation is scheduled to ap-
pear In support of a request for an
additional 100000 in the unem-
ployment relief fund to prevent hard
ship in the families Of employables
who cannot flnd work.
Revision Of Figures.
It probably will be week from to-
morrow before the Thomas subcom-
mittee revises the figures in the ap-
preparation bill. Another day or two
would elapse before the Senate could
set on the bill. II by that time sepa-
rate tax bills are making steady
progress through the regular legisla-
tive channels, tax amendments on the
appropriation bill probably would not
be deemed necessary.
When che appropriation hearings
are resumed At 10 am. tomorrow the
last group Of department heads to be
heard will include those Of National
Capital Parks, the Highway Division,
Trafic and Water Departments.
Although the House knocked out
rider that sought to transfer the cost
of traffic administration from the
general fund to the gas tax fund, it
failed to put back in the bill ap-
proximately $4,000 for the salaries
of the traffic office personnel. The
Senate is expected to correct this.
Recommendation Turned Down.
The House also turned down the
recommendation of its committee that
administration Of public hospitals be
transferred from the Welfare Board
to the Health Department. However,
while it retained the authority with
the Welfare Board, the House left the
money to run the hospitals embodied
IN the Health Departments appropri-
alton. Present indications are the
Senate will restore the funds to the
welfare agency. The permit office
also is likely to be returned to the
Welfare Board.
There are other innovations in the
House bill awaiting Senate subcom-
mitee consideration this week. such
As the school rider restricting the
amount OF clerical work that may be
performed by teachers; authority for
the appointment Of a fire insurance
rate expert In the insurance depart
nnent, and added personnel to enable
the corporation counsels Office to
establish a municipal bonding service
as a means of giving the city a new
source of revenue. The House pro-
vided the funds for the bonding serv-
ice in anticipation Of the passage of
the necessary bill to authorize such
. service. which has not yet passed.