Evening star., 1951-06-20
District Budget
Pleas Heard
BySenateUnit
D. c. Spokesman SeeI
Restoration of Funds
DisuIIowed by House

Senate hearings on the Dis
trict's $137.7 million supply bill
for 1852 were being concluded to-
day with citizens spokesmen
pleading for funds disallowed by
the House.
There were pleas for a full $12
million Federal payment, for q
higher payment to private hos
pitals for the care of INDECENT pa
tients, for more school teachers
and other city services.
Witnesses also called for STEP
up in the pay of the Districts per
diem workers and for a reopening
of the Districts child day care
centers.
Golf Concession Scanned.
Debate also was expected to be
renewed on the request of the
District government for $275, 900
denied by the House-to permit
the Recreation Board to take
over the management of the pub
lie golf links here, conducted for
% years by private concession
aire, S. G. Leoffler.
Col. Charles /. Stengle, former
member of the House. appeared
as the representative of the
American Federation of Govern
ment Employees, to plead the cause
of a wage increase for the blue
collar" workers of the city gov
eminent.
But before he got into this sub
ject he urged the Senate subcom-
mittee. headed by Senator Hill,
Democrat, of Alabama, to make
a fight for the full Federal pay
ment of $12 million authorized in
the 1947 District Revenue Act.
Wage Inequalities Cited.
He reminded the subcommittee
that the Federal share once was
so percent and later 40 per cent,
until 1925 when the lump sum
system was adopted.
Col. Stengle said per diem
workers of the city government
"have been left far behind in the
parade" in recent years in wage
increases granted similar workers
in this area.
He said if action was not taken
in the current supply bill there
would be little hope for relief in
the next five months and that
"the financial distress of these
workers will be acute"
The District wage scale board
last February recommended an
increase for per diem workers
but the Commissioners have de-
1ayed action because of a possible
revenue deficit.
Hospital Spokesman Heard.
Col. Stengle said that since Oc-
tober, 1949, per diem workers OF
the Defense Department in this
area have received an average
14-cent base pay increase and
those in the Air Force an addi-
tional 7 cents, while District
workers performing similar tasks
got an increase of only 5 cents.
Spokesman for eight private
hospitals who care for INDECENT pa
tients told the subcommittee the
$500,000 granted by the House fol
next year for these medical chari-
ties would be at least 100000 be.
low their costs.
They asked the subcommittee
to grant $939,865 Their case was
presented by Daniel w. ODonog.
hue, jr.; DR.. John Minor, pas
president of the District Medica
Society; DR.. F. D. Costenbader, so.
ciety president-elect; James H
Lemon of Children's Hospital ane
Don Hamilton, secretary of the
Hospital Council
The witnesses brought out thai
Baltimore pays SIS million a veal
for the medical charities of it.
private hospitals, and that New
York City, while operating IA city
hospitals. grants $40 million 6
year for the care of indigents il
private hospitals.
Budget lawfully Tight"
Chairman Hill commented that
the District had an lawfully
tight" budget, but he added that
due to the great imitation in costs
the actual value of a $500, ,00t
payment had been considerably
reduced.
Representatives of the District
Dental Society and the Robert T
Freeman Dental Society strongly
supported the request of the Dis
trict Health Department for q
fund to inaugurate the f1uorida-
ton of the District water supply
as a means of preserving the
teeth of the city's children.
Edmund A. Schmitt, of the
Army Engineer Corps Office, which
operates the supply system, tes.
titled yesterday the cost for the
first year of the program would
be $4,000. Health Department
estimates had been $4,000 fol
the first year.
Senator Hill repeated his ear
1ier declaration in favor of tn,
program.
Dental Officials Heard.
Speaking for the program als'
were DR.. John A. O'Keefe and Dr.
Israel Shulman of the Distric
Dental Society and DR.. MATTHEW
Mitchell of the Freeman Denta
Society.
Mrs. Alan Worries, speaking TO
the Society for the Prevention o
Blindness, urged restoration o
funds cut by the House for tn
Health Department maternal ant
child welfare services.
A plea for funds to permit re
opening of the day-care center
for children of working mother
was presented by j. Austin Lati
mer of the staff Of the Senate
Civil Service Committee, Mr..
Erne Koranyi Of the Family an