Evening star., 1921-11-29
OVER a MILLIONS
FOR YEARS NEEDS
IN D. c. BUDGET
Estimates Ready for Con-
gress After Many Cuts Made
by Budget Bureau.
RATIO QUESTION VITAL
ISSUE TO BE SETTLED
More Money Wanted for Road Re
pairs-Larger Police Force
Urged.

When the Commissioners estimates
for the operation of the District gov
ernment during the next fiscal year
go to Congress Monday it is under
stood they will show a total of be
tween $24,000,000 and s25,00o,00o.
1t is estimated that the Districts
revenue during the next fiscal year
available to meet appropriations will
be about s14,0O0,o00.
The Commissioners are required by
law to keep their estimates down
to twice the revenues which they
expect to receive. In complianc,.
with this law the Commissioners. i;
is reported, sent to the Treasury De-
partment estimates amounting IL
about 27,000.000.
Reduced Several Millions.
1t has been reliably reported that
the bureau of the budget in running
fine-tooth comb through the Dis
eral millions of dollars Director Of
the Budget Dawes was aided in the
task of surveying the District esti-
mates by former Senator Lawrenc.
Y. Sherman of Illinois. who served
on the Senate District committee
while in Congress.
The departments and projects In
which the budget bureau made reduc-
tions in estimates are not known. j,
is generally believed. however. that
the budget officers have eliminated
new undertakings not regarded as
imperative at this time.
Liberal appropriations for school
and for improvement in the police and
fire departments will be advocated by
the city heads when Congress begins
hearings on the District bill.
Ratio Questions Coming Up.
The question of what ratio of Dis
trict expenses should be borne by the
federal government also will arise as
one of the important matters to be
decided in considering the new Dis
trict appropriation act.
A majority Of the board Of Commits
sioners is believed to be in favor of
return in practice to the halfsand-
half plan of the organic act which is
still the substantive permanent law.
under which the federal and District
governments each have met SO per
cent of the cost of maintaining the
National Capital During the past
two fiscal years Congress has in the
District appropriation act changed
that ratio to 60 per cent by the Dis
trict and 40 per cent by the federal
cifically that the change was tempo
rary. applying only to the fiscal year
and to the items included in the ap-
preparation act.
AS far as school building appro-
priations are concerned, the Commits
sioners believe Congress is fully ad-
yised now as to the importance OF
those items.
Asks More Money for Streets.
The necessity for larger allotn,epts
for street and road work, howT.'er.
has not been brought forcefully to he
attention of the legislators as hsve
the school items. The Commissioners
will endeavor to point out to Con-
gress at the forthcoming hearings
that the National Capitals street re-
pair work Jagged during the war and
should be brought up to date as rap
idly as possible.
An increase of approximately 100 In
the personnel of the police force also
is understood to be an item which the
Commi ssioners will urge upon the
lawmakers. Members of Congress re-
Gently expressed a willingness to help
put the police and fire departments on
a more efficient basis. and it is be-
lieved they will recognize the neces-
sity for larger forces in view of the
rapid growth taking place here.