Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-25
House Grants DC.
SIS Million Payment
Cuts Reduced
But Burroughs
Still q Worry
BY JAMES G.. DEANE
Star Stan Writer

restoration Of appropriations
committee budget cuts.
But 300 to 400 city workers
still face possible April lay
offs. Officials said they were
hoping to find some way Of
keeping these workers on the
payroll, but did not seem
optimistic.
The House yesterday restored
So million of a committee-ap-
proved $3.4 million cut in a SIS
million supplemental city APP
preparation. Also approved was
a SIS million extra Federal pay
ment. double the figure pro-
posed originally by the appro-
priations unit.
Freed From Threat
The floor action freed the
police. fire and sanitary en-
cheering departments and the
school system from the fur
Tough threat. The four Depart
ments we're granted what they
originally requested.
But legislators overwhelm-
ingly defeated proposed resto-
ration of some 100000 to half
a dozen other departments.
This left things substantially
unchanged for the departments
in question from a gloomy fore
cas- made by city leaders last
Saturday.
The departments still in
budgetary predicaments in
clude:
1. Public health-facing a
layoff of some 26O employees and
drastic health and hospital
service cuts.
2. Corrections-facing a fur
Tough for Is employees.
= 3. Highways and trsffic-fac-
ing a furlough of 20 workers
and cuts on street lights, police
telephone and radio n1ainte-
nance.
4. Public library-facing fur
loughs for 20 employees.
5. Public welfare-facing a
cut in monthly public assistance
grants or a worker furlough.
y 6. Occupations and profess
siOns-facing furloughs for
three employees.
The furloughs probably would
apply for three months. Off,
tcials have said departments
might spread the burden by
laying off still more employees
for shorter periods. however.
Wider Restoration Baked
Representative Thomas, DEM
ocrat of Texas, proposed the
PARKWAY reversal of the budget
cuts yesterday. 1t was a sub
committee headed by Mr..
Thomas that originally recon-
mended the cuts. But the Tex
an blocked an effort by Repre-
sentative Rabaut, Democrat Of
Michigan, to restore funds to
other departments as we'll.
Mr.. Rabaut, who heads the
regular House District Appro-
priations Subcommittee. argued
that city departments were cut
unfairly by the Thomas unit.
The city agencies were slashed
25 per cent. while Federal
agencies in the same supple
mental bill generally lost only
10 per cent, he said.
Il feel that is entirely too
drastic" the Michigan legis-
lator told the House, adding
that this was despite his re-
putation as the tough guy ON
the District"
Mr.. Rabaut was backed in
his last minute efforts in the
citys behalf by other members
OF his subcommittee. Repre-
sentative Mcmillan, Democrat
of South Carolina, chairman
of the House District Commit
tee, also took the floor on the
issue.
Mr.. Thomas, however. re-
fused to bulge, asserting:
They can certainly live with
this. They don't have to fire
anybody"
Hopeful for Senate
The Texan was supported in
a standing vote by a large
majority of the House MEM
bers present, including Repre-
sentative Cannon, Democrat Of
Missouri, chairman of the full
appropriations committee.
The House has also cleared a
S25 million payment for the
next fiscal year, starting July l.
The House actions as far as
they went were received by
city leaders with obvious ap-
probation. Commissioner Rob-
ert E. Mclaughlin, who wit
messed part of the floor de-
bate, said it was particularly
good to have the SIS million
boost in the Federal payment.
which puts this much-debated
grant for the first time at a
$25 million level. The grant
hitherto has not exceeded $40
million.
Economy Means Sought
But Mr.. Mclaughlin de-
clared:
while we appreciate what
they've done. il appears we may
still have to furlough people"
Schuyler Lowe, general adj
ninistration director, said heads
of threatened departments will
be asked to make a new report
on possible economies that
might head off furloughs But
curbs on PURCHASES, promotions
and new hiring already have
been ordered.