Evening star., 1946-04-30
|0'Mahoney Unit
Seeks Million
Raise DC. Aid
Fight for Immediate
Increase in Federal
Lump Sum Planned
By Don S. Worren

A determined fight for an
immediate increase of $4,000, 900
in the Federal payment toward
District expenses in view of
mounting costs was begun today
by the O'Mahoney subcommittee
of the Senate as it recommended
permanent legislation for an
nual adjustment of the size of
the Federal contribution.
Since basic legislation would be
needed for the proposed permanent
formula, Senator O,Mahoney, Demo-
crat, Of Wyoming, chairman of
the Appropriations Subcommittee in
charge of the District supply bill,
said his group had agreed unan-
imously to seek a boost In the
Federal payment of from $4,000 900
to $10,0O0,000.
The formula, based on an extern
sive study made last year by three
expert consultants of the committee,
would fix the Federal payment an
nually in general keeping with the
ratio of tax-exempt Federal land
holdings here to the total land area
of the District, with certain excep.
tions. If applied to the 1947 ap-
preparations, it is estimated this
would raise the Federal payment to
about s11 1,179,000
More Funds Urged for GalIinger.
The decision to fight for a $4,000
900 increase in the lump sum Fed
eral payment for the year beginning
July was reached, Senator
OMahoney said, when the subcom-
mittee found it was perfectly OBJ
vious" the District would not have
enough funds available next year
to provide all the services that are
essential"
Along with this, Chairman OMa-
honey announced his subcommittee
had decided to recommend heavy
increases for several services, as a
result of the recent hearings on the
l947 budget. He said these included:
l. An increase of $1,500,O00 for
Gallinger Hospital, over the totals
allowed by the House, so as to per-
init an immediate increase in the
hospital staff. This was largely due
to charges by Gallinger officials that
many of the 267 newborn infants
which died at Gallinger in the past
six years might have been saved
had adequate nursing care been
available.
109 More Teachers Urged.
2. An increase of $341 300 for the
public schools, to permit the en-
ployment of 109 additional teachers.
These additional teachers were
recommended as a means of reduc-
ing part-time pupil instruction SO
far as available classrooms will per-
NIT.
3. An increase of $69,7l6 over
funds granted by the House, for
employment of additional help at
the District tuberculosis sanato-
rum at Glenn Dale, Md, to permit
the early reopening of $50 beds
there, which have been closed for
lack of funds for hire of employees.
Chairman OMahoney said testi-
mony by District officials showed
there now was a waiting list of
180 tuberculosis patients who should
be hospitalized. The extra funds
for Glenn Dale are sought to per-
NIT as many of these as possible
to be placed as fast as the addi-
tional help can be hired.
Senator O'Mahoney said the sub
committee conclusions which he
announced were tentative in that
the. group has not yet finished
marking upy the District supply
bill it will recommend be adopted.
However, he said the feeling of the
subcommittee was unanimous that
increased funds were needed for
the schools and the hospitals and
that required services could not be
rendered under present revenues.
and would be impossible without
an increase in the Federal pay
ment.
Need for Funds Cited.
'It is perfectly obvious" he said,
while making references to rela-
lively small surpluses in District
funds which would be left over from
the House total, that with the
funds available it will be impossible
to provide the District with the
services that are essential without
an increase in the Federal pay
ment."
The recommendations of the sub
committee, he continued, would be
made to the full Senate Appropria-
tions Committee, with the report
made last December by the three
experts who recommended the fiscal
(See D. c. BUDGET, Page A-12.)