Evening star., 1953-01-10
Hill Reaction
Varies on New
DC. Budget
Sentiment to Lift
U. S. Payment to
II Million Heard
By Don S. Worren

By Don S. Worren
Congressional reaction was
mixed today to the Districts
proposed record budget, which
calls for an outlay of $143.8 mil
lion in the 1854 fiscal year. be-
ginning July /.
House and Senate members
had not had time yet to make
anything of a study of the city
spending plan but some contin-
uing key issues are up again.
Friends of the District in
dorsed the proposal for restoring
the Federal payment to at least
the $12 million authorized in the
1947 District revenue act, but a
conflict over this again seemed
inevitable.
For the present fiscal year. the
payment was slashed to $N mil
lion. after the Senate succeeded
in softening a 20 per cent cut
originally approved by the House.
A battle seemed sure to develop
also over proposal in the Fed
eral section of the Truman bud
get for SIG million for the Civil
Aeronautics Administration to
proceed with a No. 2 Washington
air terminal at Burke, Va.
Children's Center Item
There was praise for the ear
marking of ST million for begin
ming construction of the pro-
jected Children's Center at
Laurel. Md.
Senator Nicely, Democrat. of
West Virginia, an eX-officio
member of the District appropri-
ations subcommittee last year,
said he hoped Congress would
grant a Federal payment of at
least $12 million.
The payment in the past, he
said, has been inadequate and
he. warned that Washington
would continue to lag behind
other capital cities of the world
unless the Federal government
stepped up its grants for upkeep
and development.
Washington does not belong
exclusively to the people of the
District" he said. "it belongs to
every man, woman and child in
the whole country I have never
found mature, thoughtful per-
son who did not want the Ma
tional Capital to be developed
structurally great and mair-
tanned as BELTS the most i'm
portant capital city in the world"
Gordon Favors Formula
Senator Gordon, Republican, of
Oregon, formerly assigned TO the
District funds group. suggested
a formula to determine auto
matically the size of the Federal
payment.
What ought to be DONE" he
said, "is to settle on a yardstick
for what the Federal Govern
ment should pay. If that is
done, then we ought to have a
more careful consideration of
the budget.
Without such yardstick. the
Government pays only an arbi-
trary amount without regard to
whether the budget is raised or
lowered"
A sour note came from Repre-
sentative Taber. Republican, of
New York, who will head the
House Appropriations Commit
tee. Asked for comment on the
Federal payment issue in the
light of the Districts huge back
log of construction demands, he
said:
"They (the District Govern
ment) have no disposition to
raise taxes which here are lower
than anywhere in the world.
They do not seem to be ready to
meet their responsibilities"
Last year he led a fight to cut
the Federal payment by 20 per
cent. At times in the past also,
he has said, the Federal payment
should be eliminated entirely.
Representative Wilson, Repub-
lican, of Indiana, who will head
the District subcommittee on the
House Appropriations Commit
tee, withheld any specific COM
ment on the budget until ne
could study it. He did say he
anticipated no difficulty for the
District in meeting its needs. al
though there will be demands
for national economy.
Senator Hunt. Democrat. OF
Wyoming. one of those who last
year helped to STR the congress
sional conscience in connection
with replacing wornout District
welfare institutions, said he is
glad funds were recommended to
start the work at the Children's
Center.
But this would be just a
start" he warned. "The District
could well spend SIS million OH
its welfare institutions and still
they would not measure up to
the standards of institutions in
various States"
Sees Moral Obligation.
Senator Hunt said the Federal
payment should be lat least" $11
million. 1T SENS to me-" he de-
clared, that Congress pledged
such a sum in good faith wher
it wrote it into that 1947 taz
raise bill for the District. II
strikes me that at least that sun
is due the District-not only a:
a moral obligation but also from
the Federal interest in gooe
service"
The Burke airport item. al
thought not in the Distric'
budget. brought quick comments
on both sides.
@.A~ T-L -