Evening star., 1946-05-04
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Senate Group likely
To ReportD. {. Budget
OF 78 Million or More
By Don S. Warren

BY Don ). Worren
A greatly liberalized District
supply bill for the year begin
ming July will be reported,
probably today, by the O'Mah-
oney Subcommittee of the Sen
ate Appropriations Committee.
While calculations of increased
amounts agreed ON by the subcom-
mittee had not been completed late
: yesterday when the OMahoney
group concluded its "markup" of
the bill, it was believed the total
would run fairly close to the record
breaking s8l sos 900 budget proposed
i last January by the Commissioners.
Increases over the House total of
$72,585,0 announced from day to
day by Chairman O,Mahoney in
dicated the total would be at least
$78,000,000 and probably more. The
House had sliced nearly s9,00O,000
from the budget proposals.
Seeks Higher Lump Sums.
Though it showed the same re-
gard for keeping the District out of
debt, the Senate subcommittee had
found needs for extra services and
capital improvements so pressing,
because of lean war years and the
sensational rise in population here,
that it wrote one large increase
after another into the bill.
Taking note that District officials
and civic leaders are working on
proposals for possible increases in
District taxes, the O'Mahoney sub
committee launched move for an
immediate S4,OO0,0O0 boost in the
S6,000,OOO Federal payment toward
National Capital costs.
This is designed to serve as a
stop-gap measure until Congress
has had time to act on proposed
basic legislation calling for adoption
of a formula, based on the extent
of Federal taX-exempt land hold
ings here. to measure annually the
size of the Federal share of District
costs.
Increases Water Fund.
ldUCSk SlCdSCS Gu
by the subcommittee headed by
Senator OMahoney, Democrat, of
Wyoming were extra funds for eX-
pansion of the water supply system,
for the penal institutions, the Re-
ceiving Home for Children, the
schools and the Alcoholic Clinic.
Appropriations proposed by the
House for the water system were
increased by 1891 900 to permit an
early start on expansion of facilities
at the Dalecarlia Reservoir. Projects
there include new mixing and sedi-
mentation basins and the beginning
of construction on a 30,000,000-
gallon clear water basin having a
total authorized cost of S2,217,000
The subcommittee also added
s47O,000 for expansion of facilities
at the District Training School for
Feeble Minded at Laurel, Md, in the
belief that to permit admission
there of some of the long waiting
list of patients would have the effect
of reducing the problems of de-
11nquency in the District.
$4,000 for Children's Home.
Seeking to break the log jam over
construction of the new Receiving
Home for Children, the O'Mahoney
Subcommittee said it was recon-
'mending an additional appropriation
of s50,000. This was because OPEN
ing of bids recently showed the
lowest offer was 100000 above the
s265 900 fund appropriated last year
Senator O'Mahoney, referring to a
statement submitted by Engineer
Commissioner Gordon R. Young,
said it was thought this increase
would permit award of contract for
that portion of the home to house
delinquent children and others
awaiting court action. Also he said
it should cover space to be used
for the classification center.
A later appropriation would be
needed for the section of the home
to be used for nondelinquent chill
dren.
The subcommittee added $4,000
for the board and care of child
wards of the District in foster
homes. The committee said this was
needed because of the heavy in
crease in the per capita costs of
caring for the foster children.
The O'Mahoney subcommittee also
provided S50,000 for the construction
of an eight-room extensible ele-
mentary school (the Slowe SCHOOL,
at Fifteenth and Hamlin streets
NE.
Shop Plea Rejected.
The subcommittee rejected re-
quests by the Commissioners for
S730,600 for the construction of a
shops-and-garage building for the
refuse division. Chairman OMa-
honey said it was thought the divi-
sion could get long" without this
building for the time being and
added that there were so many
construction projects that were "ab-
solutely necessary" it was felt it
was not wise to appropriate for i'm
provements that were desirable but
not Immediately necessary.
With some regret, Chairman
O'Mahoney also announced his sub
committee, by a tie vote, had de-
feated proposed appropriation of
$25,000 for the National Symphony
Orchestra to cover the costs of the
concerts for school children. The
point was made that such a service
has not been specifically authorized
by Congress. Senator O'Mahoney
said legislative committees may con-
slider bill to authorize this outlay.