Evening star., 1948-04-21
D. {. Supply Bill
MAKEUP Begun
by House Unit
Hearings Concluded
After Pleas for
Extra Millions


Extru Millions
Officials OF the Horan Subcommit-
tee of the House Appropriations
Committee today sat down to the
task of writing the Districts 1949
supply bill, in the face of citizens
demands for extra millions Of OUT
lays.
AS submitted by the Commission
ers, the proposed $102 ,000,0 900 budget
already was out of balance by S.
600, 900 even though the city heads
had reduced the requests of their
department chiefs by about $42,-
100000.
Chairman Horan said it would
take some days to markup the bill
and that he does>not believe it will
be reported to the House until after
next week. Members Of the House
District Committee said they have
been told they will be given the
total as soon as it IS summed up.
Word of the total outlay for the
next fiscal year is expected to re-
vive District Committee study Of
proposed new taxes. Any formal
action on the revenue problem,
under the plans Of Chairman Bates
of the Fiscal Subcommittee Of the
House District Committee, still
would await House action on the
spending bill.
AS the budget hearings ended
late yesterday Chairman Horan an
nounced that adequate equipment"
woulde be provided for the recently
established riot squad of the Metro
politan Police Department.
What happened at Bogota can
happen here" declared Mr.. Horan.'
Hopes that Congress will pass the
Auchincloss home-rule bill were
voiced by several at the hearing
Miller Backs Bill.
One of these was Chairman Miller
of the Health, Welfare and Recrea-
ton Subcommittee Of the House
District Committee. who got into
the home rule subject by protesting
that the District Commissioners are
not making many visits to the in
stitutions under their charge.
Representative Miller repeated his
plea for the District to sell one of
the two welfare agency sites it now
holds at jolly Acres and at Muir
kirk, Md. Several other witnesses at
yesterdays hearing recommended
appropriations for new infirmary
building and other improvements at
the Home for the Aged and Infirm
at Blue Plains.
A plan for extending District pay
ments for charity case care to nearly
all Washingtons private hospitals
now is before the subcommittee. 1t
was developed after testimony by
private hospital spokesmen that
many are caring for charity patients
without pay and that even the four
having charity contracts with the
District receive less than their actual
expenses.
Might Cost $780, 900.
If extended to private hospitals
generally the plan would cost the
District more than 100000 a year,
or an increase of more than S445, 900
over the present medical charities
cost.
A declaration that it may be
necessary to make a "houseclean-
ing" in the Welfare Department.
came from Chairman Horan, after
the testimony of Mrs. Hester G.
Stoll, chairman of the Washington
group of the American Association
of Medical Social Workers, urging
that the entire original requests OF
the Welfare Department be ap-
proved
Original requests of the Welfare
Department were supported by
Spokesmen for numerous groups.
These included Benjamin w. Tho
ron, speaking for the Board Of
Directors of the Family Service
Association; Mrs. George Tobias,
for the Washington chapter of the
American Association of Social
Workers; Mrs. Harold M. Banner
man, for the Board of Directors Of
the Children's Protective Associa-
ton, and Mrs. Henry Gichner, for
the Family and Child Welfare Divi-
sion of the Council of Social Agen-
cies.
s4,500.o00 Cut Urged.
In addition, the Rev. Leonard s.
Edmonds, director of the Depart
ment of Social Welfare, Washington
Federation of Churches, filed a
statement which protested the inad-
equacy of the welfare budget as SUBJ
mitted by the Commissioners.
John H. Connaughton, president
of the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations, urged the subcommittee to
cut the 100000 budget by s4,-
100000 He also urged that no new
taxes be levied pending enactment
of the home rule bill.
Mrs. John C. McClintock. speaking
for the "Voteless" District League Of
Women Voters. asked for increased
sums for health; welfare and school
Droprans