The Washington times., 1925-01-12
BELL ASKS
Citizens
GROUPS
TO AID
Commissioners to Hold Series
Of Meetings to Discuss Need
With Civic Bodies

Support for . movement to
bring about greater freedom in
financing emergency needs Of the
District government is the ultimate
aim Of series Of conferences the
commissioners will hold with civic
bodies, II was indicated today. The
initial conference viii be held
Friday afternoon.
The commissioners, It was
learned, desire to obtain express
sions from leading citizens not
only on q better method Of meet
ing such an emergency as heavy
snowfall. but also on bringing
about an improvement in the II
nancial policy Of Congress toward
the District government in dealing
with other emergencies.
Work Faces Delay.
Two emergency situations of
major importance demand speedy
action, and their recurrence could
be prevented if the plans the. conn
missioners have In mind were ap-
proved by Congress, 1t was indi-
Gated today by Engineer Commits
sioner j. Franklin Bell.
Colonel Bell pointed to the i'm
pending cessation of work. by the
water department. of Installing new
-.
veyor's office of marking out new
notifications OF the present fiscal
policy toward the District govern
ment.
Both these offices OF the District
government, Engineer Commissioners
Bell pointed out, are self-supporting.
They are performing duties Of a
most urgent character, and in doing
50 are expanding money which
comes not from the Federal Gov
eminent or from Distict evenues as
a whole, but from the revenues Of
the offices themselves.
Funds Nearly Gone.
Unless deficiency estimates now
pending in Congress are granted, no
new water connections can be in
stalled after February until July
/. The appropriation for surveying
new subdivisions also Is expiring at
the same time. Money would be
available to carry on both projects
without contribution from Federal
funds or the general District revc-
nues IL the authorization of Con.
gress were given. At present both
offices may spend only such part
Of its own revenues as the appro-
priation law permits.
II am not in favor Of spending
money lavishly," said Commissioner
Bell today. But believe that if
missioners in spending the present
revenues the best interests Of the
District could be served. If a con-
tingent fund were established from
which the Commissioners could draw
in time OF pressing need, and that
not necessarily a calamity, 1t would
make it possible for the Commits
Sioners to meet unforeseen emergen-
cies in a much more satisfactory
way without any ultimate additional
loss to the District.
Such a fund could be left to the
discretion Of the commissioners, and
would be expended with every safe
guard thrown around it. The
school repair needs could be met
from such fund. These emer-
gency situations indicated cannot be
foreseen to the extent Of estllnat-
ing year or eighteen months in
advance the exact amount nesded.." :
Commissioner Bell indicated that
a contingent fund should not be
less than $1,0O0,00O.
The Chamber OF Commerce has
already notified the commissioners
of it's Willingness to participate in
the conference to which representa-
tives will be sent. The Board of
Trade and Merchants and Manu-
facturers Association also have been
inyyifod