Evening star., 1923-12-10
The Districts Budget.

The Districts Budget.
OF the District needs in the budget
which goes to Congress today are
justified by the figures which are
presented in that section Of the vol
unle which pertains to the National
Capital. Excluding the water service
and the permanent and indefinite ap-
propriationS, the proposed allotment
Of funds for the District is S24, 455, $50,
or S2,S0S.205 more than the current
act. Including all items. the total is
s26.879.S12, or S192,987 more than the
current appropriations. Though, in
pursuance OF the fundamental policy
Of the budget bureau In making re-
renchnents this sum is materia! re-
duction from the first estimates of the
Commissioners, it is so allocated as to
provide a well rounded, balanced pro-
vision for meeting the Districts needs
to the extent that the reduced figure
permits. The bureau Of the budget
has won the warm appreciation of
DISTRICT citizens for its wise and fair
handling of the figures which were
submitted by the Commissioners.
whose own painstaking preparation
Of the estimates laid the foundation of
a satisfactory appropriation. The
Commissioners, too, have earned the
thankful appreciation of the District
for the skill and energy with which
they defended their figures and in
many cases won notable success in
preserving them for submission to
: Congress.
The Districts revenues Of the fis-
cal year 1925 are estimated at ST.
706,500 as compared to s17.106, 500 for
the current year. Including all so
called trust funds, retirement funds
and relief funds. the total receipts for
1s24-5 are placed at sl9,81S, 500. Tn.
der the 6o40 ratio. which is now the
established proportionment Of Capital
maintenance, the District, it will be
seen, will have abundantly sufficient
means to meet the drafts if the full
budget allowances are granted.
Foremost in the provisions of in.
crease are those items which pertain
TO the public school system. The total
amount recommended for the school
system proper is $7,9S3.22O. OF this
amount 81 ,6s7,5 500 is for buildings and
grounds, completion of the Armstrong
Manual Training, Western High,
John I. Cooke and Thomson schools;
for a site and building of a new junior
high school in the northeast; for an
athletic field for the Western High
School: for q new site in the vicinity
Of Sd and Rittenhouse streets and for
another in the vicinity of 5th and
Buchanan streets. These additions to
the school plant. liberal as they are.
do not, Of course, comprise the full
needs OF the system, and adoption of
comprehensive plan of year -by-year
additions on larger scale than the
annual budget permits remains a ne
cessity.
The increa ses in the various municipal
departments are distributed through
out the system, for police personnel,
for more firemen and material addi.
tfonS to the fire departments equip
ment: for additions to the charities
and corrections plant: for the care Of
the streets; for a better playground
system; for better lighting: for more
sewers and for the extension of the
Public Library facilities.
The treatment Of the District by the
bureau of the budget has been marked
by. thoughtful consideration. At first
pfuned to point which seemed to
menace the District with a curtail-
nent of funds as against the current
law, whereas every condition called
for Increase, due to the growth of the
city and an accumulation Of arrears
Of needs. In response to the directors
summons to set forth the most urgent
OF the requirements the Commission
ers pointed out their particular items
Of primary necessity, and from this
process came increases which judi
ciously balanced the needs and resulted
finally i'll a District budget which for
proportion az. between competing
claims and liberality in recognition
Of the Capitals necessities commands
the approval of the people OF Wash.
ington.
While there are some disappoint-
rnents, due to the omission of cher
ished projects, enactment Of this bud
get into an appropriation law as it
stands will give the District substan.
tial foundation for the next fiscal year,
though there will remain many items
that may demand consideration for ex-
ira financing through the use Of the
accumulated District surplus on the
proper basis of federal participation or
possibly a federal advance or a. loan
on some judicious equitable terms.