Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-21
Byrd axes Up Plea
For D. C. Teachers
Could Not Act
Earlier, Senator
Tells Critics
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Staff Writer

Va Vic OAobAASO xAPPLOpIAublOAlo
Subcommittee. has promised to
consider Monday the hiring Of
an additional 222 District school
teachers Immediately.
At the same time, Chairman
Byrd protested he had been
"powerless" to free emergency
funds the Commissioners sought
July 80 and August IA for the
teachers.
He told the Commissioners he
was unfairly criticized for refus-
ing their bid. Had they written
the teacher request into their
first budget cleared by the
House before July 30, he said
he would have been at falt in
not responding Ito what APP
pears to be a great need"
But the Commissioners did
not ask Congress for the teach
ers in their first budget. Nor
was revenue authorized by Con-
gress until August 81 to cover
teachers salaries, proposed by
the Commissioners in their Sec
ond budget, Mr.. Byrd noted.
He added he did not receive
the Commissioners justifica-
tons for added teachers in the
second budget until last Friday.
Held up in House
Before Mr.. Byrd turned down
the emergency plea, the House
Appropriations Subcommittee
also refused to clear it. Con-
gressional parliamentarians adj
vised members they lacked au-
thority to allow funds unap-
propriated by either house to
be spent in the absence Of
revenue to cover them.
The Commissioners wanted
Senator Byrd to let them use
teacher retirement funds car
ried in the House-approved
budget to hire teachers for the
current school year. Some
classes in all junior high
schools, and at Anacostia,
Spingarn, Eastern and McKin-
ley high schools have as many
as SIS or So children to one
teacher, higher in the first
days Of classes.
II was placed in a difficult,
an impossible position when
the budget estimate was not
even submitted to Congress,
when the revenue bill was not
enacted and when no justifica-
ton was in my hands," the
Senator said.
He apologized to the Com
missioners and to spectators
for his 35-minute self defense
at the close Of the first day
of Senate hearings on total
city spending requests for the
current year Of $326.7 million.
He said If he had assumed
authority he would have set a
dangerous precedent. other de-
partments confronte d with
emergencies could ask for $50
social workers, for 100 police
men or for 300 more teachers,
he said. This could develop
into an "unwholesome situa-
ton"
TObriner Comments
Asked by Senator Byrd for
his comment, Walter N. To-
briner, president of the Board
of Commissioners, said:
IT would say that you realize
as we do that the situation is
highly critical. 1t was our de-
sire and hope in an emergency
situation, particularly since we
offered to defer to the b budg-
ct the retirement fund appro-
priations, to act in what we
thought was the best interest
Of the schools and Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
You and your subcommittee
felt that the technical require
ments Of a budget submission
should be met. You are within
your rights"
He noted, however, that the
Commissioners had scaled their
first request for 348 teachers
down to 222 in their emergency
request.
This is a one third reduc-
tion," the Senator said. IF
there was a justification for
cutting the original request by
one third, there might be a
justification for reducing the
222 even more" The Commits
sioners now are seeking 344
new teachers in the formal
budget submission before the
Byrd subcommittee.
Questions Delays
Senator Byrd also demand
ed from city officials the rea-
son why three cottages due
for completion last November
l at Junior Village were pushed
back to a mid-January OPEN
ing date.
They we're finished mid
December after foul weather
and unexpected sewer work de-
layed the contractor, Buildings
and Grounds Director James
Blaser said.
The District Commissioners
opened hearings yesterday
morning with assurances that
health and welfare depart
ments had been efficiently re-
aligned since last year. These
assurances apparently antici-
pated the kind Of painstaking
appraisal city officials have
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