Evening star., 1944-05-04
Civic Necessity
RequestsSifted
byHouseGroup
Subcommittee Plans
Call Shortly for
Public Hearings

Water, refuse and sewer division
requests for the next fiscal year
were being considered today by the
House District Appropriations Sub
committee as 1t neared the end OF
executive sessions, hearing justifi-
cations by municipal officers of the
proposed $76,000,000 budget for 1945
When these items have been
studied, the committee, headed by
Representative Coffee, Democrat, OF
Washington. will open the doors to
citizens representatives to outline
their fund requests.
Three Controversial Issues.
Three controversial matters were
involved in testimony yesterday be-
fore the Coffee subcommittee: Fire
safety regulations and enforcement;
complaints against operation of Dis
trict penal institutions, and the ad-
ministrative setup for District well
fare institutions.
A conviction the District has lack
ed proper enforcement procedure for
its fire safety rules was voiced later
yesterday by Chairman Coffee after
the subcommittee had inquired
closely into the causes of the fatali-
ty of the fire in the rooming house
at 81 Randolph street NV.
Col. John w. Oehmann, building
inspector of the District, who re-
Gently resumed that post after pro-
tracted war service, was questioned
[at length, but afterward Chairman
Coffee said the subcommittee was
satisfied both the Building Inspec-
ton Department and the fire mar
shal's Office had made frequent in
spections and "had done everything
in reason"
The only lack found by the SUBJ
committee, he added, was in the
enforcement field and here, he
added, there are extenuating cir
cumstances."
Denies "Buck Passing"
The critical materials shortage,
which has blocked provision of fire
escapes and other safety appliances
in many buildings, was listed by Mr..
Coffee as one of the circumstances,
along with the hesitancy of the
courts and other agencies to take
steps which would mean throwing
thousands of tenants out on the
streets" for failure to comply with
safety standards, when war prior
tiles prevented.
1T Is not deliberate, but there
seems to have been something like
buck passing" Mr.. Coffee reported,
"and a need of centralized author
ity. We are t,ld new procedures
are being perfected at the District
Building under the guidance of Cor
poration Counsel Richmond B.
Keech."
Earlier yesterday the Coffee sub
committee had questioned Welfare
Director ray L. Huff on complaints
recently made about his admins
tration Of the Lorton Reformatory
by Controller General Lindsay c.
Warren and he is to be recalled
later for further testimony.
Welfare Setup Aired.
During yesterdays session, also,
the subcommittee considered the
relationship between the Board of
Public Welfare and the District
Commissioners, question already
subject to hearings before the
D'Alesandro subcommittee of the
House District Committee.
Mr.. Coffee said there was reason
to doubt whether a volunteer, non
paid welfare board was the best
arrangement ard that the sub
committee was not satisfied welfare
board members had demonstrated
sufficient interest" in their work
and responsibilities. He made an
exception of A. j. Driscoll, whom he
commended for his frequent per-
sonal inspections of agencies and
institutions under the control of
the welfare board.
Some Enginee- Department re-
quests were considered yesterday
and Mr.. Coffee Indicated the sub
committee regarded favorably the
plans of the city heads to replace
the old elevators in the District
Building.
| The only hitch indicated was
whether the District could obtain
necessary priorities for rev ma
chinery.