Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-26
Action Slated
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D. c. Tax Measure
Neurs Completion

D. c. Tax Measure
Neurs Completion
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS
District legislative programs fol
the next fiscal year on cit,
revenue and expenditures ar,
slated for substantial progress
this week in Congress.
The pending tax bill. intended
to raise the city out of its finan'
cial crisis. is expected to b
whipped into final shape tomor'
row by the Joint House Senatl
fiscal subcommittee.
subcommittee Chairman
Smith, Democrat Of Virginia, sais
he hopes the group can agree OF
terms Of the legislation befor,
the end Of the day. The measur,
then will be printed and sent Il
the House District Committee fol
action, he said.
Unless there are some com.
Iplications, an executive session Of
the full District Committee ma,
be held some time late this weel
to vote on the measure.
Delay Possible
One possibility Of delay, how.
ever, Is that four members Of thi
District Committee may be tiee
up in a House Commerce sub.
committee handling the District'i
bill for a transit authority here
This group plans to meet Thurs.
day for its final day Of hearing
before taking action.
II for any reason the District
Committee cannot meet thi.
week. it is expected to schedule
10 session early next week on ths
tax program TO send 1t to the
house floor for q vote.
The measure Is designed Il
raise more than $40 million ir
local taxes and to increase the
Federal payment toward city
costs from its present authorized
strength Of $40 million to so
million.
When the House sends thu
measure to the Senate, members
of the Senate District subcom-
mittee on fiscal affairs will b
prepared to present the legis-
lation to the full Senate Com
mittee since they participated
in framing the measure.
Bible Studies Measure
Chairman Bible Of the Senate
fiscal subcommittee said he ha,
been making a careful study Of
the measure since participating
in the public hearings and Ii
executive sessions of the join
fiscal group. He also has looked
carefully into the document,
relating to the differences In
estimates for the expected
revenue from the income tar
provision.
Meanwhile. the city's spending
program for the next fiscal yeal
will be considered further by thu
House Appropriations subcom.
mittee handling the District.
1857 budget.
Their second week Of execu.
tive sessions will begin with con.
isideration of estimates for the
police and fire departments.
The subcommittee, headed BY
Representative Rabaut. Demo.
Icrat Of Michigan. is listening
carefully to Qualifications sub.
mitted by District officials or
the proposed spending program
of the city for a total Of $l82.i
million for next fiscal year be.
ginning July /.
Additional Budget Planned
Depending. however, on the
congressional action on the new
tax bill. city officials hope tt
submit an additional budget fol
public works projects to raise
the total city-spending program
to $l96 million.
The budget also carries the
recommendation to restore the
50 million cut made by Congress
in the Federal payment for this
fiscal year which reduced 1t from
the authorized $40 million to SIS
million.
Prospects for further action or
legislation leading towards con.
struction of the Jones Point
bridge were Frightening.
The House District subcommit.
tee, which approved some amend.
ments to the original Legislation
authorizing the bridge. is ready
to send 1t to the full House Dis.
trict Committee for action. The
bill would transfer jurisdiction
for constructing the bridge from
the Interior Department to the
Commerce Departments Bureau
lof Public Roads. It would also
make some changes in the design
Of the bridge and the method Of
approaches to the span through
Alexandria.
The House District COMMITTEES
will have Its hands full at the
next executive session, with the
Districts big tax bill, but 1t Ii
possible that the Jones Point
legislation, believed to be nom
controversial, could be taken ur