Evening star., 1960-01-06
Bible to Examine
Three Major
D. c. Problems


Laughlin, president of the Dis
trict Board of Commissioners,
to Capitol Hill to brief him on
Maryland and Virginia reaction
to mass transportation legis-
lation drafted by the Budget
Bureau. This preliminary draft
proposed a Federal corporation
to plan a co-ordinated trans
portation system and to acquire
and build some facilities If
State governors agree.
Maryland State Senator
Northrup and Virginia State
Senator Fenwick, both DEM
ocrats, plan to give their views
to the bureau Friday afternoon.
Senator Northrup is concerned
mainly with the right of Mont
gomery and Prince Georges
Counties to retain control over
land uses for transit purposes.
Senator Fenwick favors limit
ing the corporations powers to
planning until a master devel-
opment program is drawn.
Ready for Tax Plan
AS for the tax problem. SEN
ator Bible said he would urge
the District Commissioners to
send as promptly as possible
their proposed tax increases of
about So million to the District
Committee. Mr.. Mclaughlin
said he would brief the Senator
on the measures this after
noon, but could not estimate
when the draft legislation au-
thorizing new taxes would be
ready for formal transmission
to Congress.
The timing is important be-
cause the District budget
about $252.8 million-is ex-
pected to reach the House Ap-
preparations Committee Janu-
ary 18. The budget will have
to be sent to Congress in two
pieces. The first will represent
the total Of costs that can be
covered with current revenues
plus the Federal payment and
loans. The second Will add the
expenses allowed by increased
taxes, whatever Congress de-
cides they should be.
Senator Bible expected that
a joint Senate House Commit
tee would handle revenue pro-
posals in order to expedite ac-
ton.
The Commissioners will ask
for a reduction of the taxable
income floor from $4,000 to
$4,000; extension of the 2 per
cent sales tax to local tele-
phone service, and the unin-
corporated business tax to self
employed professionals and
persons offering personal serv-
ice. and increases in the
cigarette tax from 2 to 3 cents
per pack, the wholesale LIQUOR
tax from $l.25 to $I.5O a gall
Ion. and the wholesale beer tax
from $3.50 to SO a barrel.
Juvenile Court Need
Although crime is not on the
agenda of today'S conference.
Senator Bible and Commits
sioner Mclaughlin are likely to
discuss juvenile delinquency
and problems of the Juvenile
Court. Mr.. Mclaughlin is the
Commissioner responsible for
law enforcement.
Senator Bible reiterated to-
day that probably the prime
need of the District was an ex-
panded Juvenile Court bench.
The Senate unanimously passed
a bill last April to create two
Juvenile Court judgeShips.
SO, this most pressing mat
ter is pending on the other side
OF Congress" Senator Bible
said. He noted that hearings
held Monday and Tuesday of
this week by Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee Chairman Hen
nings, Democrat of Missouri,
would help focus attention on
the need for judges-and there
is a crying need"
The closed-door District
budget hearings will begin in
the House Appropriations Dis
trict Subcommittee on Monday,
a public hearing probably will
follow within the next two or
three weeks, it was learned
today.
The House unit, headed by
Representative Rabaut, Demo-
crat of Michigan, will hear city
officials at the closed sessions
outline details of estimates for
the fiscal year starting next
July /.
Spending Increase Asked
The Commissioners proposed
spending is about $4.5 million
more than this fiscal year.
Details of the budget have not
yet been disclosed.
The budget is not scheduled
to 60 to Congress formally until
President EiSenhower'S budget
message on January 10. But
Budget Bureau-approved fig
ureS already are under study
on Capitol Hill and the Rabaut
hearings do not need to await
the formal submission, con-
sources indicated.
The hearing start may set a
record for early District con-
gressional budget consideration.
Last year the Rabaut unit
opened its executive hearings
on February S. The normal
starting date in recent years