Evening star., 1949-01-09
Senate, House
To Set Up D. {.
Units This Week
Early Consideration
Expected for Fiscal,
Home Rule Problems

vital problems facing the Ma
tional Capital.
Outstanding among these issues
are:
The District budget for the COM
ing fiscal year beginning July l, te
be sent to Congress tomorrow.
Revenue sources to balance the
budget, including the controversial
sales tax. which apparently stands
more chance of passing the House
than the Senate.
Home rule and reorganiza ton OF
the District government, opposed by
most Southerners in Senate ano
House. 1t is favored by the Senate
District Committee majority than
by the prospective House District
Committee majority.
Pay Raise Seems Assured.
The long delayed $3.50 pay raise
for District employees, who lost II
when the sales tax bill was fill
bustered to death in the Senate last
year. This proposal appears to have
almost unanimous approval in botn
House and Senate, but the rub Will
come over the problem of how to
raise the money to pay for it.
Republicans officially will name
their members on the Senate Dis
trict Committee tomorrow morning
to complete the list Of the group
now headed by Senator McGrath
Democrat, of Rhode Island.
Already it has been indicated that
four of the Republicans will be
Senators Margaret Chase Smith OF
Maine, Mundt of South Dakota
Hendrickson of New Jersey AND
Schoeppel of Kansas.
Two other Republicans are to be
named. Among those mentioned on
Capitol Hill yesterday as likely to
get these posts were Senator Nc
Carthy of Wisconsin and Senator
Williams of Delaware.
Subcommittee to Be Named.
The COP list on the Appropria-
tions Committee, also to be an
nounced tomorrow, will fill that
vital committee, and lead soon, ii
is believed, to selection Of the sub
committee which will handle the
Districts supply bill.
Senator McKellar, Democrat, OF
Tennessee, already has been named
chairman of the Appropriations
Committee, but the head OF the
District subcommittee last night
appeared to be somewhat in doubt
Senator O,Mahoney, Democrat, OF
Wyoming, who is. in line to become
chairman of the Senate Appropria-
tions Subcommittee on the District
has been assigned the Craftsmanship
of the Standing Committee on In
terror and Insular Affairs, and is tc
head also the Joint Congressional
Committee on the Economic Report
In view of these responsibilities
there was some talk yesterday that
he might ask to be relieved of the
District Subcommittee chairman
ship. A longtime friend of the
District, he has fought for a more
equitable Federal payment toward
city costs here.
The four freshmen Republican
Senators already slated for the Dis
trict Committee, have begun tt
think about problems of the Ma
tional Capital, although they have
not yet been officially appointed.
Mrs. Smith for Suffrage.
Mrs. Smith was said to feel thai
everyone in the country should have
the right of suffrage, nationally anc
locally. She is definitely in favor oI
the $3.50 pay raise for District EN-.
ployes. But on the sales tax she i:
withholding a final judgment unit
after q study of the revenue stu.
alton.
Senator Mundt, a veteran of the
House, said he voted for daylight
saving for the District last veal
and will do so again. He has ar
open mind on the question of home
rule for Washington, and will make
a study of the sales tax and revenue
problems of the city.
Senator Schoeffel, successor tt
Senator Capper. of Kansas, said he
had seen the benefits of sales tax
while he was Governor of Kansas
but does not want to commit him
self now on what position he vii
take for such a levy here. He is
open minded toward the suffrage
problems of the national capita
and feels that the American fran
chise is important. An elected city
council, he thinks, would have some
advantages over the present gov
ernment here, but he promised tt
make a careful study of the whole
situation.
Mcmillan to Head Unit.
On the House side, selection Of
membership on all committees-s
somewhat more complicated job be-
cause of the larger number in
volved-is expected to be completed
later this week by the Ways anc
Means Committee for the Demo
crafts and by the Republican Com
nl.ttee on Committees.
Representative Mcmillan, Demo
crat, of South Carolina is slated tc
head the District Committee, but
TIE chairmanship of the Appropri-
atoms subcommittee on the Dis
trict seemed uncertain.
Chairman-designate Cannpn OF
the full Appropriations Committee
still was said to be studying a re-
vision of the subcommittee list ano
lineup. One factor confusing the
prospects of a chairman for thi:
unit is the seniority of the Demo-
Gratis in line for the post. 1t has
been forecast, however, that some
member with long experience in the
House will be placed in the respon-
sicle spot.
The House subcommittee on Dis
tr.ct appropriations will face ar
early and heavy task in handling
the city's budget which goes te
Congress tomorrow along with the
Presidents big budget for the Fed
err Government.
While the appropriations subcom-
mittee is wrestling with city eX.