Evening star., 1949-04-09
Larger Budget
Still Hinges on
DC. Tax Bill
All Senote Witnesses
PIeod for Expansion
Of 1850 Allotment
By Don S. Worren

spending program-stiil hung 70.
day on passage Of an $4,000 .oot
city tax bill.
Members Of the District Sub.
committee OF the Senate Appro'
priations Committee plan TO NEE
in executive session before mex
week end TO write their version oI
the city supply bill
| They are sympathetic with plea,
for restoring cuts made by tn.
House and even adding extra lay
ers TO the budget. it was indi'
Gated. but the question Of ade'
quate revenues still pervades ths
whole picture.
Early Action Is Sought.
| Efforts are to be made TO fine
an early spot on the Senate calen.
dar for debate and action on thu
House-passed revenue bill. featur.
ing a 2 per cent sales tax. as re.
ported by the Senate District
Committee. with some major
changes and added liquor anc
cigarette leyies.
Senator Hill, Democrat. Of Ala.
bama, head Of the appropriation.
subcommittee. could give no indi.
cation of final action on the bud
get at this time. In advance oi
any scheduled Senate action or
the revenue bill, he indicated il
would be up to his subcommittee
to determine whether the bulge,
must be held down to present rev.
enues. or to count on passage oi
a revenue measure.
! II the Hill Subcommittee grants
pleas for added appropriations
outlined in two days of hearings
ended late yesterday. the budget
will reach the record-breaking
S103. .40o. 900 recommended in jan
uary by the Commissioners. Some
new items have been added and
some old requests have been post
poned since then.
Reasonable Delay Wanted.
| While the Hill Appropriations
Subcommittee may go ahead
promptly with the drafting of its
budget bill. some officials were
hoping that final budget decisions
could be delayed for at least
reasonable period to permit time
for Senate action on the revenue
measure.
At stake in the Senate budget
actions are funds city officials said
are urgently needed for welfare
health, school, police, sewer. refuse
and many other services. And. II
requests by spokesmen for nearly
a score of citizens groups are
granted, extra revenues will be re-
quired.
Funds for pushing ahead with
construction Of the projected new
Spingarn High School. the Hine
Junior High School and for re-
placement OF the old Armstrong
High were among demands placed
before the Hill Subcommittee yes
terday. Many witnesses combined
in demands for funds for additions
and equipment for the Bell Vo-
cational School, now housed In
the former Powell Junior High.
Welfare Warning Sounded.
A warning that a further heavy
cut would have to be made begin
ming July in public assistance
grants, unless the Senate restored
a House economy slice of $289, ,908
was voiced late yesterday by Wei
| fare Director John w. Tramberg
He told the Senate group that
while the case load had increased
sharply In the first three months
of this year the pending welfare
budget still was based on the 1916
price levels when OPA controls
were In effect.
Because of this situation. Mr.
Tramberg said. the Welfare Board
had been compelled to make a 7
per cent reduction on assistance
grants last fall and an added {
per cent cut was ordered Thurs
day. Unless the House fund cut
of $3.50 ,908 is restored, he said. the
grants for old-age assistance and
aid for dependent children arc
other categories would have to be
cut back.
Health officials asked restora-
ton of most of the items cut by
the House. Health Of1icer CreCrge
IC. Rutland and officials In charge
of GaIlinger Municipal Hospital
urged increases totaling $694,77C
over House totals.
Zoo Seriously Handicapped.
DR.. William Mann, director o1
the Zoo, told the Senate group
the House reduction Of $ll, 300 OF
the requested $4,000 for purchase
of animals was taking the heart
out of the Zoo"
The fund for new specimens
| he said. was mot only the most
essential but the hardest to de-
fend." He won friendly smiles as
he told of having to spend 81 zoo
for the replacement of a pair OF
West African chimpanzees that
died last year. $1,000 for a rhin-
oceros and $4,000 for q par OF
0ranrtltang
Civic witnesses included Mrs.
Florence E. WEIGH. for more
money for teaching Of physically
handicapped children; Mrs. Laura
Delano Houghteling. for larger
grants for the Washington Home
for Incurables: the District De-
partment of the American Legion,
for more liberal welfare funds:
spokesmen for the Washington
Central Labor Union. the District
of Columbia Apprenticeship Coun-
Icil and others, for Bell Vocation
School improvements; the South
east Washington Citizens Asso-
citation and Mrs. s. ]. Hogan OF
the Hine Parent Teacher Associa-
ton, for the new Hine Junior
High project. and the Armstrong
Alumnae and the Armstrong