Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-18
House Vote Due
|0nD.C. Budget
And New Taxes
By DON s. WARREN

E09bN4 BVVV U"O0
BY DON s. WARREN
The House this week win be.
gin to chart the course Of DIS.
trict Government financing IN
the year beginning July !. with
action impending on both SPEND
ing and revenue programs.
Tomorrow the House viii take
|up the City's $l79.7 million
budget measure. from which the
Appropriations Committee has
made q $3.l million cut In the
Commissioners spending plans.
That committee, however. il
recommending approval Of .
Federal payment Of $40 million.
the full amount possible under
present law. Last year it sought
to reduce this by "a million and
forced the Senate to compromise
later on q grant Of $l8 million.
This bill, which provides for
the hire of 125 more elementary
school teachers, Is expected to
be passed by the end of the day
and sent to the Senate where
hearings probably will be started
after the Easter recess.
SupuIemental Funds Bill
Tuesday, the House is to tackle
two measures having vital inn
port to the District. One is to be
the big supplemental funds bill
that includes $9.4 million for the
District, mostly to meet pay
raises for City employees voted
last year by Congress and now in
effect.
| Stricken from this measure by
the House Appropriations Com.
mittee was the requested resto-
ration of 50 million portion Of
the Federal payment that was
Topped of last year when Con-
gress passed the City budget for
the present fiscal year.
Whether members of the House
District Committee concerned
over the City financial picture
will make a fight to get the House
to put back into the bill this
missing 50 million was uncertain
last night. There was some
thought of letting the House
take its course and leave the is
sue for Senate consideration.
$12 Million Revenue Bill
Also Tuesday the House is to
take up the Districts $12 million
revenue bill. This would put an
additional $40 million load in
taxes on the city while also rails
ing the authorized amount Of
the Federal payment by 50 mill
lion-from $40 million to $22
million.
/ The measure provides for a
lowered exemption and some
changes in top rates for the Dis
ltrict personal income tax. esti-
mated to bring in an additional
|$5.3 million or more: a 5000 900
increase In the sales tax on meals
.lby reducing the exemption from
4 so cents to 10 cents: a $3.50, 900
boost In liquor taxes; a $l32 900
! increase In beer taxes and a To-
cent increase in the realty tax
. rate to produce an additional
$1,000. 900.
4 Approval Expected
| On the tax bill. the House will
be operating under a closed
. rule" customary in the case of
. tax measures in the House, which
|, would prevent consideration of q
clutter Of amendments from the
! House floor.
This means that the House
could elect to pass the bill or re-
Ject 1t or send it back to the
House District Committee.
Approval of the bill is expected
but as a preliminary the House
first must adopt the rule and
this could spark some debate.
! Once the revenue measure ia
enacted, the Commissioners will
send up an additional appropria-
ton bill amounting to 1892 mil.
non to take care of capital i'm
provements that could not be
financed under present revenues.
Two Hearings Slated
i Adding to District business in
the coming week will be two
hearings at the Senate District
Committee.
i Tuesday at 10 am. the full
committee will hold a special
hearing on the nomination of
Lee A. Rober, now United States
attorney, to be chief Judge of the
Municipal Court of Appeals.
Senator Morse, Democrat of Ore
gon, said he wanted to ask q
series of questions.
1t is reported these deal with
actions by the District Attorney
IN the case of Owen baltimore,
former State Department ad.
visor, and the request made by
|Mr. Rover that Judge Younsdahl
Idisqualify himself.