Evening star., 1939-04-09
BY JESSE C. SUTER.

The past week has been
crowded with civic matters of
vital interest to the people of the
District of Columbia. Outstand-
ing among these are the new pro-
posed amendment to the Consti-
tuition introduced Tuesday by
Representative Hatton w. Sum-
ners of Texas and the report by
the Committee on Appropria-
tions and passage by. the House
of Representatives of the District
of Columbia appropriation bill
for the fiscal year 1910.
The appropriation bill was re-
ported to the House soon after
the House convened on Thursday
and was passed with only minor
amendments in exactly 2 hours
and so minutes after being called
up for consideration. 1t is re-
ported that not more than So
members of the House were pres
ent at any one time during the
consideration of the 93-page bill,
which carried appropriations ag-
gregating s46,902,707. At one
time the number of members
present dwindled to % out of a
present membership in the House
of 432
There was only one increase
of the amount as reported by
the committee and that was
Sl2,500 additional compensation
for Griffenhagen g. Associates
for framing the plans for reor-
ganization Of the District govern
ment. The amount previously
appropriated for this firm was
$1,000.
The work of the Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee of the House Dis
trict Committee has continued,
the latest information being that
new draft of a three-point plan
has been decided upon. Decrease
of the proposed sales tax from 2
per cent to l per cent, decrease
in the income tax from incomes
over $4,000 to incomes above
$4,000 and the provision of a
corporation in Ct1le 'aX of S per
cent are the 2H~' tey lres.
The report o lnr hppropria-
tions Commit 0T tie District
supply bill ara tas amount
carried by the WI max tie that
no additional raXrs vii be re-
quired during n NJ is al year.
Chairman CctNnS .e..t,as that
any apparent deficiency n rev.
enues will be .axen care of by
continuing the ga. estate tax
rate at $l.75, ADDITIONAL evenue
from 1900 new pa!kirN. meters
and a more efficienf ..,rcement
of the license laws. T:js may put
the proposed tax bill Z! another
situation, requiring further modi-
fication or abandonmaut.
Hearings on the Gritfe lhagen
reorganization plans were re-
sumed on Tuesday, when strong
representations were made by the
public librarian and the Board Of
Library Trustees against the Pub
lie Library being merged with the
general government of the Dis
trict. The showing was made that
the proposal to strip the citizen
board of it's control of the library
system was theoretical and not
supported by the experience of
any comparable community.
The latest report is that Chair
man Kennedy of the House sub
committee has offered to omit
from the general reorganization
the public schools. the public
library and the parks Other
notifications, to meet citizen OBJ
jections, are expected to follow.
Word comes from Warm
Springs. Ga, that the President
has signed the seven District bills
passed by the House on March q.
Funds for New Central Library
But Contract Not Authorized.
The proposed new Central Lii
brary Building for the public
library is left in peculiar posi-
ton by the District appropriation
bill as passed by the House. AS
reported by the committee it car
ried an item of $3.50 900 to begin
construction of the building on
the District-owned site on Penn
sylvania avenue between John
Marshall place and Sixth street.
The Commissioners were author
lied to make contract for the
construction of the new library
building. This authority provi-
sion went out on point of order,
as being legislation on an appro-
priation bill. The point of order
also carried a provision making
available for the new building the
unexpended balance of a current
appropriation of $4,000 for the
preparation of plans and spect-
flcations for the building.
The appropriation of $350,000
to begin construction of the new
building was not affected by the
point of order and continues in
the bill as passed by the House.
This amount is to be trans
ferred from an appropriation of
$5OO,O0O made for the Municipal
Center which was not needed
after the financing of that group
of buildings was provided for out
of a P. w. A. loan and grant.
The limit of cost for the new
main library building is $l,118,-
600 and the first unit will also
house the administrative Offices
of the Board of Education. AS the
free public library system Is BY
law a part Of the educational sys-