Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-01-17
D. {. Needs Get
.0Mahoney and
Stefan Support
Both Back Budget
As Fowler Speaks at
Trade Bourd Meeting

AS FoWler speaks at,
Trade Board Meeting.
Pictures on Page A-2.) -~
The Districts belief that 1t needs
its war-weary face lifted was con-
firmed last night by two members
Of Congress familiar with the citys
problems. They disagreed, however,
over how to 60 about paying for the
treatment.
In the role of advisers were Sena-
tor O'Mahoney, Democrat, Of Wy
oming, who was chairman Of the
Senate Appropriations Subcommit-
tee which drafted the current Dis
trict supply bill, and Representative
Stefan, Republican, Of Nebraska,
who was a member of the House
District Appropriations Subcommit.
tee in the last Congress.
They committed themselves dur
ing a press conference" featuring
the District of Columbia Night
membership meeting of the WASH
ington Board of Trade at the May
flower Hotel.
The tax discussion was broadcast
over WMAL.
Fowler Discusses Budget.
Some 1900 board members and
guests, including members Of Con-
gress and most of the major Dis
trict officials heard a discussion by
Budget Ofhcer Walter L. Fowler.
who outlined the 1913 District bud
get estimate of SOS, 0S2 500 recently
submitted to Congress.
They also listened to John F. Vic
tory, executive secretary of the Ma
tional Advisory Committee for Aero
nauticS, who outlined Americas an.
swer to the challenge of supersonic
aircraft and other weapons threat
ening to make outer space the bat
tleground of the future"
Predicting quick and complete
defeat" it this country ever gets into
another war unprepared, Mr.. Vic.
tory described NACA-sponsored ex-
periments aimed at keeping the
United States ahead of the world in
the development Of aerial weapons.
Great Advances Predicted.
Among his predictions of things
to come were atom bomb carrying
guided missiles capable of streaking
unerringly through the stratosphere
to distant targets, of small arrow
shaped planes piercing the super
sonic speed wall" and of ram jet
engine OF 10000 horsepower weigh
ing only 400 pounds.
You also will see commercial
flights from Washington to San
Francisco in three hours during your
lifetime" Mr.. Victory asserted.
Joseph c. Grew, Metropolitan
Area chairman for the forthcoming
1947 American Red Cross fund cam
paign, declared the organization
was counting heavily" on the trade
board for support In its effort to
raise $787 $50 here.
The budget queries added up to an
item-by-item examination Of the
budget estimate recently submitted
to Congress which proposes meeting
an anticipated revenue deficit Of
So, $780, 900 largely through new
taxes, mainly on general sales, liquor
and income. --A'
Support improvements.
Senator O'Mahoney and Mr.. ste.
fan replied favorably each time they
were asked If they didn't think it
wise to put this or that many mill
lions of dollars into highways or
water supply improvements. Sem
ator O'Mahoney was particularly
concerned about the "silamefuliy
neglected schools" Mr.. Stefan said
something ought to be done, too.
about building up the police force
in the face of increasing crime.
But when 1t came to sources Of
revenue, it was a different matter.
Senator OMahoney said he t,ldn't
like a sales tax because 1t hits those
least able to pay" He suggested
giving the District control over
wholesale liquor distribution as q
means of bringing in $50 many mill
lions you won't need q sales tax"
MIR. Stefan recommended follow
ing Budget Ofiicer Fowler's advice
and putting lot of this Jntaxable
property under a tax" as means
of bringing in Millions" Both con-
sidered formula for fixing the
Federal share, such as that en-
bodied in bill recently reintro-
duced by Senator O'Mahoney, fair
means of adding upward of $6,000,-
900 to the sum contributed toward
District expenses each year by the
United States.
Questioned by Newsmen.
The So-called O'Mahoney plan
would Ak the Federal share on the
basis of Federally controlled Dis
trict land, exclusive Of parks, road
ways and underwater areas. About
1875 per cent of such land is now
used by the Government.
Newsmen putting the questions
were Alexander r. Jones, managing
editor Of the Post; Frank c. Wald-
rop, editorial writer for the Times
Herald; Robert M. Buck, reporter
for the Daily, News, and B. M. Nc
Kelway, editor of The Star. Board
President Joseph c. McGarraghy
was moderator.
The entertainment for the meet
ing, arranged by K. H. Berkeley,
general manager of WMAL, fea-
tured songs by Berf1ice Rickmann,
soprano, and Robert Nicholson,
baritone, soloists on WMAL's Won.
der Flame program.
TX Oar FAM nf Wnrkare