Evening star., 1929-12-04
The Districts 1881 Budget.

The Districts 1881 Budget.
As explained in detail elsewhere in
The Star, the size OF the Districts budg-
ct submitted to Congress today marks
q significant and q welcome change of
policy en- the part of the Bureau of the
Budget.
Instead Of attempting to curtail the
Commissioners estimates to a figure sp-
rroximating the amount Of the preced-
ing years appropriations, the bureau
this year has based the size of the
budget upon the Districts revenue
availability. This change of policy, ably
contended for by the Commissioners
and Auditor Donovan, will have the
effect Of placing before the appropria-
tions committees of Congress an accu-
rate picture Of these municipal needs
that can be paid for with funds already
In hand, plus revenue to be raised by
taxation during the fiscal year 1881. II
VIII prevent the accrual of an unneces-
sartly large surplus of District tax
money in the TreaSurv-a surplus that
presents an ever-resdy temptation to
q sometimes whimsically minded Con-
grsss-and it will come nearer enabling
the residents of this city to obtain the
needed Improvements and benefits for
which they ere to be taxed.
Last July the Commissioners submit
ted their tentative estimates to the
Budget Bureau. asking fer a total of
S46,a1S,627. The Budget Bureau re-
turned these estimates, ordering that
they be cut to a maximum of $46 3a7,- =
SIS, but suggesting that these items
which could not be included in this
maximum might be sent along as sup
Elemental estimates. The Commits
sioners sent back their final estimates,
insisting on total figure of S4S. AGO.
S6S. but suggesting that an item of
about s2,ooo,OOO, representing surplus
revenues to be expended on the munic-
ipal center, might be designated as
supplemental. The final figure approved
by the Budget Bureau and sent to Con-
gress today is s47,Bs0,22 which is
cut OF about half million dollars under
the original figure suggested by the
Commissioners
Or special interest to Washingtonians
Is the treatment accorded the public
school system by the Budget Bureau.
During the past Summer and Fall the
condition Of the dilapidated and per-
manently temporary" portable schools
which Fhould have been eliminated by
the hve-:--ar school program, has re-
celVed much unfavorable publicity.
Ins year the Budget Bureau has not
only increased the fund for school
guiding and site pur r-hase over that
suggested by the Commissioners. but
mas lnaugurated policy that should
serve to replace the portables with per-
manent buildings. This policy is to
provide funds for the construction of
1our-room extensible buildings in those
communities that are growing but have
not reached size to warrant the con-
struetion Of the eight-room buildings,
heretofore the smallest school units
built. AS the communities grow the
four-room buildings will be enlarged to
eight, sixteen and twenty-four rooms.
This LIS q wise policy and In a manner
answers the problem of providing the
smaller communities with adequate and
sound school buildings while they are
growing.
II Is disappointing, but not unexpected,
that the Budget Bureau failed to grant
the Commissioners request that funds
Tor water system extension be provided
out OF the general revenues of the Dis
trfct instead Of from the Water DEPART
ment reyenues-revenues that repre-
sent, for the most part, receipts from
water rents or water taxes. The hope
OF the Commissioners was to Offset the
necessity for an increase in water rents
70 pay for these extensions. Such an
increase is unjust and the financial sys-
tenn that requires it is illogical. II
M.1ns that the larger the system grows
and the more money that water tax
payers invest in that system the higher
their water taxes will be. The reverse
should be true. AS the number OF
water rent payers increases, the cost OF
water should be lowered. TIL, ideal de.
sideratum should be free water, but the
existing system works only to increase
the cost OF water, already high As the
Budget Bureau does not initiate legisla.
laticn, its refusal of the Commissioners
request is understandable. Congress,
should see to 1t that remedy is forth.
coming before another increase in yate,
taxes is foisted on the people of tn,
District.
As q whole, this years budget pre-
sents satisfying outline of thos,
most needed improvements that can b.
hnanced under the existing tax rate
1t is the largest municipal budget eve
submitted to Congress. But about SO,
100000 represents surplus revenues from
local taxes that have been lying idle IL
the Treasury. And the increasing siz
Of the budget merely reflects the in
creasing taxes collected from the Dis
trict in the last few years.
Since the fiscal year 1924 Congress
has departed from the lawfully provide
system Of sharing in fixed ratio tn
expenses Of maintaining and improvin
the municipality. The annual contri
button Of the Federal Government hs
remained arbitrarily fixed at tn
lump sum OF ss,o0O.OOO. In the mea
time, the District has been paying.
taxes and tax penalties. the amount
which follow:
1875, s16,07o,143.52; 1925. s2o,oo1