Evening star., 1946-02-21
Mounting Requests
Turn Attention 10
D. {. Budget Hearing

CONGRESSIONAL OFFICIALS QlrcCUeQ III
creased attention today to the i'm
pending District financial crisis as
fund demands continued to pile up.
plans were completed to
open House hearings Monday on the
already record breaking 1947 city
budget.
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, of
wyoming, author of plan for
the Federal payment to-
ward the National Capital by a
fixed formula, which would greatly
increase the present $4,000, 900 lump
sum, planned early action on the
proposed legislation.
He said he would call the Dis
trict subcommittee of the Senate
Appropriations Committee into ses-
sion soon to consider action on his
proposed bills. One would result next
fiscal year in nearly doubling the
100000 payment. An alternative
plan, applying the Federal tax-ex-
empt land formula somewhat Diff
ferently, would call for a some
what lesser boost in the payment.
To Be Taken Up Promptly"
II consider this question of first
importance to the District" said
Senator O'Mahoney, who Is chair
man of the District subcommittee
I'VE will get to it promptly, just as
soon as other legislation will per-
nit"
Representative Coffee, Democrat,
of Washington, chairman of the
House appropriations subcommit-
tee in charge of the 1947 supply
bill, champion of an increased
payment, sought an answer to
whether the Federal payment could
be raised by action on the appropri-
alton bill. or whether new basic
legislation would be required.
District officials were of the opin-
ion basic legislation. such as pro-
posed, by Senator O'Mahoney, was
necessary, since otherwise a point
of order might be sustained against
a budget bill raising the size of the
payment.
Previous Law Ignored.
This was believed the case, since
the 1899 Revenue Act for the Dis
trict, substantive law, fixed the
payment at $6,000,000. However, it
also was recalled that in the II
years preceding the repeal in 1888
of the old law requiring the United
States to pay 40 per cent of Dis
fricf caetc Canuraee ioporol tNa
basic law and fixed a lump sum
payment below the 40 per cent
level.
The newest of the additional de-
mands for District funds is a pro-
posal that the District use some
s50,0o0 of local funds for continu-
alton of the centers for the care of
children of working mothers, from
February % and June 30. A bill
to this effect was offered yesterday
by Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee. He will hold
a hearing on the plan Monday.
On this proposal Chairman Coffee
commented: Il am most sympa-
thetic. T hold the most liberal
sort of views regarding public serv-
ices, but ye gods, where is the
money coming from?
Other Expenses in Prospect.
There are lot of highly worth
while things we desire, but we must
be governed by our revenue pros
pects."
He and others also noted the pro-
posed adoption of 48-hour work
week for District firemen, which
would mean employment of more
than 400 extra men, at an i'm
mediate annual cost of more than
81 ,000, 900, and the proposed 43-year,
SAL 900 900 program for expansion of
the water supply and distribution
systems.
These are in addition to the pend
ing bill for an increase in the pay
Of District school teachers and nu-
merous projects yet to be submitted
in definite form.