Evening star., 1949-01-02
Mccormack Promises
Bills Right Of Way
When They Are Ready
By Harold B. Rooers


I'll continue to do so in The
Eighty-flrst Congress-" he promised.
This can be accomplished at almost
any time by unanimous consent of
the House, he pointed out.
Budget Being Prepared
Meanwhile. as the Districts budget
for the fiscal year beginning next
July l was being prepared for sub
mission to Congress this week,
Chairman-designate Cannon of the
House Appropriations Committee
said careful attention would be given
to selection of the majority mem
bers Of the important District sub
committee which will handle the
city budget.
That District subcommittee of
our appropriations committee. in
my opinion, will be one of the most
important subcommittee in the
House" declared the Missouri Demo-
crat.
The former chairman of the funds
committee in previous Democratic
Congresses said he knew from ex-
perlence that Washington is looked
to by many other cities as guinea
pig"
Other municipalities keep their
eyes on Washington affairs, particu-
larly its police, schools, and public
relief, Mr.. Cannon explained, adding
that often the work done in WASH
lngton lis reflected in other cities"
Selection Due This Week.
Membership of the District sub
committee of the appropriations
committee probably will be chosen
sometime this week, but there was
no certainty last night as to who
will head the group.
Ranking Democratic members of
the subcommittee in the 8Oth Con-
gress were Representatives Andrews
OF Alabama, Bates of Kentucky and
Fogarty of Rhode Island.
Furthermore, Mr.. Cannon pointed
out. the. Democrats will have one
other place to fill to bring their
subcommittee membership
up. to four.
Nine new Democrats will be added
to The majority side of the full CON-
mittee, Mr.. Cannon figured, SO it
is likely a freshman member of Con-
gress may be added to the Demo-
cratic membership of the District
unit.
All four Republican members of
the District subcommittee were re-
elected, but their minority group on
the subcommittee will be reduced
to three.
Stefan Continues Service.
Representative Stefan, Republican
of Nebraska, long time friend of the
District, said last night he will con-
tinue service on the subcommittee
He has taken a personal interest
in Washington affairs for the most
of his Ia years in the House. He
was influential In establishing the
physical education system now in
use in the public school system here.
Mr.. Stefan said he will concen-
trate his interest on problems Of
the fire and police departments and
the schools. He arrived in Wash
ington late last week, and said he
had not yet been informed on the
forthcoming District budget for the
coming fiscal year.
But knowing the financial straits
faced by the National Capital during
the present fiscal year, he said, he
realized that the District has got
to have an increase in revenue"
Declaring his personal opposition
to sales tax, because of the bur-
den on the lower-income group, Mr..
Stefan predicted that careful scru-
tiny will have to be made of all
potential sources of revenue.
Favors Pay Raise.
Regarding the $3.50 annual pay
raise from which District workers
were omitted when Federal classi-
fed workers received it, Mr. Stefan
said he knew there was a general
feeling that the city workers should
be given this raise to be retroactive
to cover this fiscal year.
Mr. Stefan will head the minority
Republican membership on the Dis
trict subcommittee. Next in line
will be Representative Horan of
Washington, who was subd committee
chairman last year. o. thers , on
the Republican side in the Eight
ieth Congress were Representatives
Church of Illinois and Stockman of
Oregon, in that order of seniority.
A coincidence turned up in re-
gard to the Republican membership
on the full House Appropriations
Committee Mr.. Cannon pointed
out that the 25-member Republican
contingent on the 8Oth Congress
appropriations committee would be
cut to 18 since it us the minority
party. 1t happened that just 1S
Republicans of the, appropriation
group of Is were reelected. So he
expects there may be no change in
the Republican membership on the
committee.
Democratic membership on the
funds group will be named by the
Democratic majority of the House
Ways and Means Committee some
time this week. The Republican
members of the unit will be named
by the new Republican committee
on committees.
Cannon to Make Choices.
Subcommittee assignments in the
funds group will be made by Mr..
Cannon for the Democrats, and by
Representative Taber, Republican,
of New York, now senior minority
member, and former chairman of
the full committee.
Meanwhile Representative McMil-
Ian, Democrat, of South Carolina,
who is expected to head the House
District Committee, of which he was
chairman during a previous Demo-
cratic regime, is expected to return
to Washington in time fcT the oren-
ing of the new Congress tomorrow.