Evening star., 1941-03-16
Overton
Continued From First Page }

Overton bill late yesterday. Chair
man Reynolds announced the action
after poll of the membership con-
Quoted at his direction. He ordered
the poll instead of calling meeting
of the committee in order to expe-
dite consideration of the measure in
the Senate. Indications are the bill
will be placed on the Senate calen-
dar tomorrow or Tuesday, thus max
ing action possible before the end
Of the week.
The bill provides for the division
Of costs between the District and
Federal governments on the basis
of land actually used by each. 1t
was first approved Thursday by the
Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee of the
District Committee, of which Sena-
tor Overton, Democrat, of Louisiana,
sponsor of the bill, is chairman.
1t is understood that of the IA
members of the full Senate COM
mittee approved reporting the bill
favorably. The six others, it was
said, could not be reached.
When the House District Com
nittee will act on the Overton plan
Is uncertain. Its subcommittee on
fiscal affairs will meet Tuesday at
II am. with the Commissioners and
a group of other District officials to
consider the formula as well as to
explore" potential untapped tax
sources here to provide additional
revenue. The Overton bill has been
sponsored in the House by Repre-
sentative Hunter, Democrat, of
Ohio, chairman of the Fiscal At
fairs Subcommittee
Need for More Revenue.
Mr.. Hunter said he had been i'm
pressed with a statement by Engi-
neer Commissioner McCoach at a
joint hearing of the Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee of the Senate and
House District Committees March
6, that "it will be utterly impossi-
BILE" with present revenues to fur
nish adequate municipal facilities in
the rapidly expanding sections of the
District. He has estimated that be-
tween s10,000,000 and SIS 900 900 ad-
ditional revenue will be needed each
year to provide school, fire, police,
water and other services in the
newly developed areas.
Although the House Subcommit-
tee on District Appropriations will
not begin hearings on the 1912 local
supply bill until next month, Rep
resentative Stefen said he already
had started serious study" of the
fiscal problem between the Federal
and municipal governments.
Il have approached this study
with an open mind" he declared IT
want to find out If the United States
is treating the District fairly, espe-
cially in view of the extra demands
being made on the municipality by
the influx of thousands of national
defense workers"
Mr.. Stefan said he had made the
suggestion for joint conferences on
the fiscal needs of the District to
Senator Overton, who, aside from
being chairman of the Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee of the Senate District
Committee, is head of the Senate
Subcommittee on District Appro-
priations.
He also declared he believed per-
sons from Maryland and Virginia
who work here and get some benefit
out of the District services should
help contribute to the support of the
municipal government. He is par
ticularly critical of the fact that
children of non-residents employed
IN the District can be educated free
In the local public schools. Thi,
item alone, he pointed out, is costing
local taxpayers about 100000 9
yoA1.