Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-14
House Fight
On Cut in D. {.
Planned
BroyhiII Pledges
Efforts on Floor
To Restore Slash

Plans for a floor fight next
week began shaping up today to
get the House of Representatives
to reverse its Appropriations
Committee for the second year
in row by restoring 81 million
cut in the Federal payment to
the District.
Echoing Chairman Smith Of
the House Rules Committee,
Representative Broyhill, Repub-
lican, of Virginia today promised
to do everything possible on the
floor of the House to restore
these unjuStified cuts" in the
Federal payment and in District
spending plans.
The cuts were made yesterday
by the Appropriations Commit
tee, which slashed 81 million out
of the $40 million annual pay
ment that Congress last year
promised to make toward the
cost of maintaining the National
Capital.
Spending Cut SS.S Million
The committee also cut the
spending program recommended
by the Commissioners and the
White House for the fiscal year
beginning July l from $l75.405.-
300 to $166.547, 500, a reduction
of $8.8 million.
Although the total cuts in
spending amounted to about S
per cent of the budget, some 50
million in major highway prof.
ects were postponed briefly with
the hope that they can be re-
stored before the Senate COM
pleteS action on the budget. II
they are put back then. the
House cut will amount to only
"a per cent. q
This also would reduce by a
third the $6.1 million surplus the
committee said its action would
create by the end of the next
fiscal year.
The Appropriations Commit
tee acted in approving a bill and
report prepared by subcommit-
tee headed by Representative
Rabaut, Democrat, of Michigan.
Smith First to Strike
The first criticism came from
the Rules Committee chairman,
who is a Virginia Democrat and
a veteran member of the House
Legislative Committee on the
District of Columbia.
Yesterday. he declared, when
Congress enacted the District
public works program last year,
it made a bargain with the Dis
trict for an increase in the Fed
eral payment to go along with a
higher load of District taxes. so
as to make possible a program Of
public works deemed essential to
the National Capital. Congress
would be WEIGHING on its con-
tract If the Federal payment
were cut"
Joining in the bid for restora-
ton of the cut in the Federal
payment, Commissioner Samuel
Spencer declared, II feel it is
most important to get the cut
in the Federal payment restored
to the full $40 million so that
the full public works program
can go forward as planned"
He warned that the budget
cuts would require curtailment
of District Government activities.
Commenting on committee
charges that the Commissioners
have been "lackadasical" and
irresponsible, Mr.. Spencer de-
clared. Il don't think top Dis
trict officials are financially irre-
sponsible, nor do I think they are
lacking in connection with land
assessments.
Both of these charges were
made by the subcommittee on
the grounds that some District
property has not been reassessed
in 20 or 80 years.
Commissioner Renah F. Cana
lier declared, II cannot feel there
is any responsibility. I am
convinced their comment is due
to failure of those who appeared
to properly present the situation.
l was not among those who ap-
peared." Mr.. Camalier is retir-
ing from Office June 2.