Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-21
Program Embodies Nearly
All OF Proposed Major
Improvements.
FIGURES ARE PREOICATED
ON PREVAILING TAX RATE
Experts Declare It Will Be Pos.
sible to Carry Out Projects With
out Raising Existing Levy.

A comprehensive five-year fin1ncial
program for the District embodyins
nearly all Of the ma ior public improve
ments either authorized or contemplated
is under preparation by Auditor Daniel
j. Donovan. t wss learned today at the
District Building.
Donovan is framing the program. the
first ever designed to cover a period OF
more than one fiscal year. with A view
to presenting to the Commissioners a
complete picture of the anticipated
financial condition of the District Ave
years in advance and its ability to keep
apace with the vastly increased expend-
itures.
The program. it was said. will start
with the fiscal year OF 1890. and run
through the 1884 fiscal year, showing in
detail the estimated revenues for each
of the five years. the sums that will be
available for improvements In those
years and how they may be carried out.
Donovan, 1t is understood, is predi-
eating the program on continuance of
the prevailing S1.70 tax rate and the
Federal Government The financial
experts at the District Building who
have been assisting the auditor with his
calculations. insist 1t will be possible to
carry out the proposed five-year pro-
gram, despite the large number of ex-
pensive projects 1t will provide, without
raising the tax levy.
Many Items will Garry Over.
Although the surplus revenues to the
credit of the District in the Federal
Treasury, which, 1t is estimated. will
exceed more than 81 600, 900 at the be-
ginning OF the 1880 fiscal year, would
be used to some extent under the Don
ovan plan to provide the principal
projects, 1t has been figured that many
of the items can be carried from year
to year on current revenues These
revenues are now. and have been for
several years past in excess OF the ap-
preparations granted by Congress.
Hence the more than $1,000 900 surplus
that is expected to be available at the
closing Of the coming 1929 fiscal year.
Donovan's program, 1t was said, Will
start the 1880 fiscal year on the as
sumption that the District can stand q
S42,000,000 budget, and include In 1t
for that year some OF the most urgent
needs that could not be provided with
an appropriation limited by Congress
under $40,000.000. The surplus would
be drawn on in subsequent years when
the improvements contemplated would
carry the budget beyond $42, 900 900.
Acquisition of the four-square trian-
gular site on the north side of Pennsyl-
Vania avenue between Third and Sixth
streets for the municipal center and
the actual start on the construction of
It's initial building to house the courts.
it is said, will be one of the major
projects included in the program. The
other improvements to be provided are
understood to be the elimination OF the
remaining grade crossings, the acquisi-
ton Of a site for the farmers produce
market and the extension of public
library facilities.
Airport Not in Program.
The proposed municipal airport prob
ably will not be included In the pro-
gram, 1t was indicated, because OF the
lack Of legislation authorizing its estab-
lishment. The estimated cost OF the
project has ranged from $500, 900 to
81 900 900, and 1t is believed by the
financial experts should Congress au-
thorize Its establishment it could be
provided without an increase in the tax
levy IL oil CHuAtdhlC OuSAS 10 WOAhOA cS~
between the Federal and District Gov
ernments for financing it.
The five-year financial program Is
Auditor Donovan's idea. although the
Washington Board of Trade last Sum-
mer. when the District estimates for the
coming fiscal year were under prepara-
tion, urged the Commissioners to ap-
point a committee to study f1ve-year
budget for the District. The trade Or
ganization at that time pointed out
that many of the financial evils now
confronting the District are due in
large measure to the existing year-to-
year budget system.
Aside from studying the feasibility of
the five-year budget. the trade organi-
zation pointed out that the committee
should also convince Congress Of the
necessity of dealing with the finances
of the municipality "on modern
basis"
Approval Urged by Congress.
Whether the Federal Government
desires to change its method OF run
ming the National Capitals finances
or not" the trade board declared, 1T
is plainly evident that the mainte-
nance and development of a great city.
and especially the National Capital,
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