Evening star., 1926-10-26
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Congress has been shown that we
nave here in the Nation $ Capital not
only the most beautiful city in the
world--an unfairly large percentage
or the cost of maintaining and en-
bell shlng which is paid by the tax
payers of this small District-but also
the most economically administered
municipality, entirely out of debt, or
q strictly cash basis and free from
graft.
AS the District budget is now being
cons. dere by the Budget Bureau and
is soon to go to Congress, it Isl an ap-
prop"late time to take account Of
stock, to see Just what we get for our
tax dollar, and how little truth there
is in the flaim of some members Of
Congress that we do not pay enough
taxes.
Representative William c. Hammer
OF North Carolina, member of the
House District committee and a mem
Der Of the special subcommittee Of
seven to make comprehensive study
OF the municipal government, said at
public hearing couple of weeks
ago It's the hardest thing in the
world to pay taxes"
Let us see If the records show that
The people here in the District act
that way about their taxes.
During the last three years in the
District of Columbia we have spent
Approximately SIS 900, 600 collected in
taxes, and we know just how each
dollar was Spent--including absolutely
nothing for graft and corruption,
which pyramid the costs in other
large cities.
Districts Value for Taxes.
That tax expenditure represented
our cooperative action for the corn.
mon good. which is the essence of our
form Of government, which has
proved to be the best in all the worlds
hitsory. Under that tax fund we had
more than $500 persons working for
our common interests 365 days in
each of the three years. We had
more than 5000 persons engaged in
educating our children, which is the
most important single activity of our
government. We had ] 343 persons
in the police department on guard
day and night to protect our lives and
property. We had 865 men ready at
a minutes notice to risk their lives to
Shield us from the ravageS Of fire. We
had nearly as many providing us with
hn adequate water supply of superior
purity. We had 726 men at work,
under we'll trained and experienced
engineers, keeping our highways in
proper repair and go additional
accordance with city-beautiful plan,
but as health preCautiOn. We had
500 working for us daily in jails, hos
pitfalls. refOrmatorV and correctional
institutions, safeguarding society from
those who seriously offend against it.
Now. let's sea just how each tax dol
lar is spent. The average for the last
three years shows that 3S cents out of
each dollar went to education--and our
of aIt lo bo
done more than anything else to make
our country different" and superior.
This education budget included money
for the schools. buildings, teachers,
Janitors and caretakers. for special
education and for libraries.
How Money Goes.
Seventeen cents out of each dollar is
spent on the protection of life and
property. This includes the support
of the Police and Fire Departments
and the District Militia.
Twelve cents out of each dollar is
spent on charities and corrections.
This includes municipal institutions,
private institutions. support of the
insane (which is the largest single
iteml and for prisons and reforma-
tories.
Ten cents out of each dollar is spent
on the highways. including improve
nents, new streets, maintenance,
bridges street lighting and street
trees.
Another 10 cents out of each dollar
is spent on health and sanitation with
ah0lt I CEN "non- on seWa'.S and 3
cents on disposal Of city refuse, other
items being support of the Health De.
partment and stree t cleaning.
Approximately cents out Of each
dollar goes to recreation facilities,
which means parks and Fairgrounds
4 little more than cents out Of
each dollar goes to public service,
which includes markets and increased
water supply. During the fiscal year
1925 10 cents out of each dollar went
Tor increasing the water supply. In
this budget is the $4,000 service eX
tension project OF which the final
SI2S.O00 appropriation is to be made
in the next District appropriation bill
The maintenance and operation of the
Water Department does not come out
If the tax dollar, but from revenues
If this department. During the last
few years there has been a surplus
In the revenues above the costs of the
distribution system, and this has been
used to help support the Washington
RQueduct. or supply portion OF our
water system.
Nickel for Governing.
Five cents in each dollar is for the
general government. about One-half
Of which is for salaries in the admin
istrative branch which any business
executive will tell You IS a very small
allowance.
Less than / cent covers the ragtag
ends that are always listed as mis-
cellaneous" expenses. In the past
we have paid ! cent or less out of
each dollar for interest and debt. A
few years ago we had debt Of S..
roo 600. but this was cleared up Au-
gust !. 1924. so that today we are
clear OF debt of any description what
ever.
This is especially signitiCant-and
lrrefutable proof of the business-like
efficiency of our municipal administra-
tion-When we consider that in the
three wear period when our indebted
ness was wiped out we increased our
District budget from S22 100000 in
1923 TO $4,000 900 in 1927. where in
the proceeding l0-year period we had
increased our annual expenditure only
$4,000 coo. And this at the very time
the Federal Government arbitrarily