Evening star., 1938-02-20
BY JESSE C. sUTER.

7 EARRINGS have continued
- on the District appropria-
ton bill before the Senate
= 4 District Subcommittee Of
the Committee on Appropriations
and on the District revenue bill be-
fore the Fiscal Affairs Subcomrnit-
tee Of the House District Commit
tee. The revenue measure hearing
Is expected to end tomorrow and
the bill ready for report to the full
committee at Its regular meeting
on Wednesday.
The appropriation bill hearing
will probably be completed by the
end Of the week. The impression
prevails that the street lighting
item may be put in the bill as q
charge against the general fund
instead Of the gas tax fund, In order
that the District may not be de-
prived Of participation on the same
basis as the States in the Fed
eral highway fund. The amount
expected this year from that Fed
eral source will be over $500, 900,
and this would be lost to the Dis
trict If the gas tax fund was di-
verted to street lighting. The res
toration Of the street lighting
amount to the gas tax fund will
make funds available to begin con-
struction Of the John Philip Sousa
Bridge over the Anacostia River in
line Of Pennsylvania avenue.
Those who have been following
the matter closely believe that
when the appropriation bill goes to
the Senate it will show little change
in the total amount fixed by the
House. An increase is looked for
in items to be charged against the
special highway funds. but such
increase will not necessitate any in
crease Of taxes.
The hearings on the District rev.
enue bill have produced many in
teresting incidents and situations.
These hearings have been public
and reported rather fully in the
press Attendants were not at all
impressed with the open minded
ness Of the committee. which in
one breath stated that 1t desired to
learn the views Of the citizens ana
in the next told these civic spokes-
men that they were wasting their
time to plead or argue for a sales
tax.
Organized civic Washington has
been showing a lively interest in
appropriations, taxation. increased
Federal payment toward the Dis
trict's annual budget. recreation
unification. preventing encroach-
ments on the authority OF the Board
Of Education over the school estab-
lishment, more teachers and more
policemen.
A proposal Of a member of the
House that United States troops
be made available for law enforce
ment purposes in the District has
caused some comment but received
no serious consideration. Some
have expressed the opinion that
some troops might be used properly
for the strictly Federal purposes for
which members Of the Metropolitan
Police are now required. II the
men at the Capitol and those re-
quired to guard the Embassies
could be replaced by Marines or
men Of the Army there would be a
number Of additional policemen
available for crime detection and
traffic regulation. The suggestion
OF using troops to take over some
Of the police duties is not a new
thought by any means. That idea
has cropped out on many occasions
In the past, but nothing has ever
come Of it.
The Capital Transit Co. has
completed negotiations to borrow
from the local banks about 81 ,Ooo.-
600 for the purchase of 70 new
buses and IS new streamlined cars
OF the type now operated on -Four.
teenth street. Delivery of the new
buses is promised for March IS and
the first Of the cars will begin ar
irving on july I