Evening star., 1939-03-05
Taxes, Budget,
Reorganization
Up This Week
House Committees
Ready to Tackle
Three Problems
By JAMES E. CHM.

House committees this week will
tackle three of the most vital Dis
trict problems confronting Congress
taxes. appropriations and the
Griffenhagen plan for undermining
the Municipal Government.
An appropriations subcommittee,
headed by Representative Collins,
Democrat, of Missouri will take the
lead by resuming abruptly suspended
hearings on the 1910 District supply
bill tomorrow at 10 am,
Tuesday at the same time the
Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee of the
District Legislative Committee is
scheduled to begin long delayed
hearings on the proposed new tax
program. Wednesday at 10 am.
public hearings will begin on the
Griffenhagen reorganization plan
before another subcommittee of the
District Legislative Committee. of
which Representative Kennedy,
Democrat, of Maryland, is chair
man.
Budget estimates of the Public
Library head the list of items to be
considered by the Appropriations
Subcommittee. DR.. George F. Bower
man, librarian of the Public Lii
brary, will be the first witness. He
will be followed by officials OF the
sewer, city refuse and playground
departments. who will be called on
to defend budget estimates for their
respective agencies.
Hopes for School Study.
Representative Collins hopes to
reach the school estimates by the
middle of the week, but was unable
to make any prediction as to when
the two most controversial items in
the 1910 budget will be reached.
One of these is public welfare, which
includes the recommended appropri-
alton for public assistance in the
next fiscal year. The other is the
Health Department, which has
sought increased funds for Gallinger
Hospital.
Indications are Mr.. Collins sub
committee may devote two or three
days to consideration Of the Gal
linger and public relief questions.
A subcommittee of the District Leg
islative Committee now Investigate
ing conditions at the hospital plans
to appear before Mr.. Collins sub
committee to urge increased appro-
priations for the institution. And
when the relief item is reached
Burdette G. Lewis, who recently in
vestigated the relief situation, is ex-
pected to be called before the sub
committee to discuss his voluminous
report in which he charged there
are "chiselers" on the relief rolls.
In connection with the welfare
department item the subcommittee
also is expected to give considerable
consideration to proposal for re-
moval into nearby Maryland of the
National Training School for Girls
and the Industrial Home School on
Wisconsin avenue. President Roose-
welt has indicated to Representa-
tive Collins he would favor such a
change.
Commissioners to Testify.
The commissioners Will be the
first witnesses at the hearings on
both the reorganization and new
tax plans. DR.. Chester 3. Pond,
New York tax expert who framed
the tax program, also will be avail
able to testify. In addition to the
Commissioners, Representative Ken
nedy has arranged to have among
the early witnesses before his sub
committee officials of the firm of
Griffenhagen & Associates, which
developed the reorganization plan.
Mr. Kennedy hopes the President
will make some comment on the
reorganization plan before the hear
ings start Mr.. Roosevelt is known
to have taken keen interest in a
program for revamping the District
government and has indicated his
preference for setup which in
cludes a "single administrator"
such as the Griffenhagen plan rec
ommends.
A copy of the Griffenhagen re-
port was sent to the President just
before he left Washington to view
the fleet maneuvers in the Carib-
bean, but there has been no word
from the White House as 20
whether he had time to study it
while away on the trip.