Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-15
LOWER TAX RATE .
FOR WASHINGTON
IS HELD POSSIBLE
Lords Estimates, $780,
600 Below Requests, Ex-
pected to Cost Less.
SUPPLEMENTAL LIST
MAY BE ALLOWED
Later Hearings on Needs Of Dis.
trict May Result in Some
Changes of Figures.

Washington's present tax rate Of
$40 would not have to be increased
and possibly might be reduced slightly
next year on the basis Of the report
from the Summer White House, at
Rapid City. that Budget Director lord
has fixed limit on District estimates
for the next fiscal year, it was indi-
Gated at the District Building today.
1t was pointed out that the tenta.
i've esimates amounting to 1897 900
were submitted to the budget ONCE
some time ago on the theory that that
amount could be taken care Of on the
Sl.70 rate. Gen. Lords announcement
in Rapid City means that approxi-
mately s2.500.000 will have to be cut
from that tentative total. District Of.
ficials were not prepared today to
speculate as to the exact effect on
the tax rate Of limiting the next Dis.
trict appropriation bill to $39, 500, 900,
but it is believed that such a limit on
next years expenditures would tend In
the direction of a lower rate.
Supplemental List Permitted,
Although the fixing Of this limita.
tion of s39 100000 means the cutting
of $2,500.00O from the tentative fig.
ures, it has been customary in the
past few years for the Budget Bureau
to permit the Commissioners the privi.
lege of submitting a list of supple.
mental items made up Of the most im-
portant amounts looped from the
tentative estimates in bringing them
down to the Budget Bureau limita.
tions, and there is always the DOS.
sibility that before the budget finally
goes to Congress the total might be
raised somewhat.
The Commissioners will not begin
the task of blue penciling the tenta-
tive estimates until they receive let.
ter from Gen. Lord containing official
notification Of the limitation that has
been fixed. If the practice of recent
years is adhered to this year, there will
be list of urgent supplemental items
accompanying the revised regular es.
Inmates when they are submitted to
the Budget Bureau about the middle
of September.
Next Step Is Hearings.
The next step after that Is the
| hearings before the Budget Bureau,
at which the Commissioners and their
department heads explain not only
the need for the sums asked for in the
regular estimates, but also the rela.
tive merits Of the regular items an6
the Supplementals. These hearings
| may result in some change in the
total of District estimates ultimately
to be submitted to Congress. TIL,
Budget Bureau may, for instance
make further changes in the .reviset
| regular estimates in order to reinset
some, of the projects placed on the
supplemental list
When the final budget reaches It'd
appropriations committees of It'd
House and Senate still further res
visions usually are made Because Il
these various stages through which
the estimates must go before the next
appropriation bill becomes law Dis.
trlct officials hesitate to comment on
the probable affect on the tax rate
next year as a result of the limitation
just announced by Gen. Lord, other
than to venture the suggestion that
since the tentative estimates were pre-.
pared with view to keeping the tax
rate from exceeding $1.70 a substan.
tial cut in those estimates would at
least be in the direction Of a slight
reduction.
Last year the tentative estimates of
the Commissioners amounted to S42,.
O91,225 and the Budget Bureau at that
time ordered reduction Of So, SOC, 900
In the tentative figures. The Com.
missioners, therefore, have a less dif.
ficult task before them this year than
they had year ago in curtailing the
tentative estimates.