Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-26
BY BEN McKELWAY.

D1 DEN NlChCLttA1s
For the first time, the disfranchised
citizens OF Washington are taking an
active and extraordinary amount OF
interest in the Commissioners esti-
mates for the city's 1s2s-29 budget. In
| the past the annual preparation OF
estimates has been rather a cut-and-
dried proceeding, confined wholly to
the District Building and conducted
under a veil of strictest secrecy. In
some way it became a tradition that
the man who openly revealed an estl-
mate would be forced to resign In dis
grace or perhaps be sent to Leaven-
worth. Hints were allowed to filter
| out to the press concerning the APP
| proXimate size of the estimates, but
the figures meant little and 1t was
! only when the budget was released Tor
publication or when the House APP
| preparations committee reported out
| the District bill that the fun began.
Then the figures were public property
and their publication invariably was
| followed by the making of many
speeches, the passage of many reso-
| lutions and the formation OF many
delegations and special committees by
the local citizenry as an annual form
of protest against the niggardliness
| of Congress. This was in the days
when the United States, according to
law, bore so, and later 40 per cent, or
the running expenses of the National
Capital. Then the popular and pre-
vailing cry on the Hill was to cut,
cut the District bill. Then the
thought throughout the broad nigh
ways of the Capital was to beg, beg,
beg for bigger and better appropria-
tions.
Time has wrought wondrous changes.
A newly formed Citizens Advisory
Council, representing the citizen asso-
| citation members of Washington, holds
| public hearings in the District Build
ing, summoning before 1t the heads
of the different departments Of the
District government and demanding
of them the knowledge of why this
item has been placed in the estimates
and why that one has been left out.
| Every dollar making up the estimated
total of those required for the District
is squeezed by the citizens. and the
heads Of the different departments
begin to feel that moist sensation
under the collar heretofore expert.
enced only when in the presence of
one of the august committees of Con-
gress. They are examined closely and
allowed to depart only when it is felt
that they have told all and are hold
ing nothing back.
Hardly had they confessed to the
members Of the Citizens Advisory
Council before another group of citi-
| Zens takes UP the quiz. The esti-
mates are placed before the Board
of Trade, the Chamber Of Commerce
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, there to be scanned
anew. The department heads are
either visited or called to testify BY
the individuals or committees as
signed by these trade bodies to ex-
anime the various items on the
budget and there they again tell why
such an increase is contemplated and
why such reduction is considered
advisable.
And this Is only the beginning. The
estimates still must pass in review
before the Commissioners themselves
Then they are marshaled and appear
before the stern and rock-bound
Budget Bureau. They are dispatched
to the committees of the Senate and
the House, later to be showed OUT
torn asunder and dissected openely
upon the floors of Congress. Finally
tattered and torn, weak and worn
they will limp into line and march
into law. But now, even at the be-
ginning of this long and hazardous