Evening star., 1952-03-30
D. {. Groups Poised
To Fight House Cut in
U. 5. Share Of Budget
By Don S. Warren.


$l2 million Federal payment toI
the District will be staged in Sen
ate hearings on the battered city
budget, scheduled to begin a week
from tomorrow.
District officials and citizens will
appeal for restoration of the 20I
per cent cut the House ordered I'M
the Federal share, as well as the
individual spending items.
That they will have backing and
sympathetic consideration from
leaders of the Senate subcommit-
tee in charge of the bill was made
clear last night.
Senator Hill, Democrat, OF Ala
bama, chairman of the appropria-
tions subcommittee. recalled he
bad been a consistent supporter
of a full Federal payment as
authorized by Congress when It'll
laid the latest tax boost on the
District.
Hunt FavOrs Full Amount.
And Senator Hunt, Democrat.
of Wyoming, chairman of the
fiscal subcommittee of the Senate
District Committee, which wrote
the last tax act said he would lead
a fight for a full $l2 million
payment.
Neither Senator wanted to COM
ment directly on the act of the
House slicing $5.3 million from
the 1853 bugdet OF the House vote
striking $2.4 million from the Fed
eral share, reducing it to total
of $9.6 million.
But both recalled that the Sen
ate in the past two years had
resisted efforts of the House to-
chop down on the size of the lump
payment and that last year the
Senate fight achieved COM
promise that reduced the cut from
10 to S per cent.
Officials to Get Hearing.
Chairman Hill said his sub
committee would go thoroughly
into the question of the Federal
payment and into all the budget
items. He gave assurances that
District officials would be afforded
full opportunity to present the
facts and make their case" for
a full $12 million Federal pay
ment.
Senator Hill said he had sup
ported the $12 million payment
in the past and added that "this
is my present feeling"
All of the hearings by the Sen
ate subcommittee will be open to
the public, Senator Hill said. The
House hearings were closed and
transcript of what was said there
was given out later.
Senator Hunt, an ex-officio
member of the appropriations sub
committee, said he thought even
$12 million Federal payment was
too small.
Il have always felt" he said,
"that the Federal Government was
not paying it's fair share of the
costs of the National Capital. There
is solid justification for a payment
of at least $12 million. The rec
ords of the revenue and budget
hearings show all kinds of substan-
tiation for a full $12. In fact, /
have been of the mind that 1T
should be larger and I have done
some plugging for a bigger Fed
eral share"
FavOrS Larger Budget.
Senator Hunt also declared for
larger budget, especially for such
city institutions as schools, well
fare and health agencies-for Gal
linger Hospital, the Receiving
Home for Children, the industrial
home schools and Training School
for Feebleminded.
He said he thought the Commits
sioner's budget request for $136.4
million was very realistic"-so
much so that "it bordered on aus
terity."
Senator Hunt said health and
welfare institutions most always
are the last to get the funds that
they need"
Il know Of no welfare or health
institution that is getting too
much money"
Senator Hunt also said he be-
lieved there should be higher pay
for Washington police. He is a
member Of the Senate District
subcommittee now investigating
crime conditions here.
The Wyoming Senator praised