Evening star., 1929-09-04
Must Defend District Esti-
mates for 1881 at Hearing
October Fl.
REDUCTIONS ARE MADE
AS PREVIOUSLY ORDERED
But Officials Hope to Convince Fed
eral Director of Need of
$4S,0o0,00O Total.

The Commissioners were notified to
appear before the Bureau of Budget,
October 81, prepared to defend the
! Districts unprecedented financial bud
get for the 1881 fiscal year.
The hearing on the Districts esti-
mates will be the last conducted by the
Budget Bureau. before it puts the an
nual budget in final shape for trans
mission to Congress. The bureau, how
ever, expects to begin this week to trim
the estimates of the Federal depart
ments to keep Government expenditures
for 1881 within the amount appropri-
ated for the curre4st fiscal year.
The appropriation requests of the
District are far down on the schedule
for consideration by reason of the fact
that it occupies a place in the final
chapter Of the voluminous book of
estimates.
Struggle in Prospect.
Although the Commissioners have
been directed to reduce the District
estimates by $2,000,OO0, to bring the
total figure down to approximately S46,-
100000, it is believed that a determined
effort will be made at the hearings to
have the Budget Bureau approve the
original items contained in the tenta-
tive budget
Mai Daniel ]. Donovan, auditor and
budget officer, is now at work cutting
the estimates in obedience to the bu-
reau's order. The revised budget will
be returned to the bureau September
Is, accompanied by list of supple
mental items, constituted largely of
those removed from the tentative es-
Inmates.
The S46.000,0 900 allocated the Dis
trict for the coming fiscal year rep-
resents the estimated revenue available
ity for this 12-month period, and will
leave the accumulated surplus to the
credit of the District in the Treasury
undisturned The tentative budget Of
the Commissioners, which was slightly
in excess of $48,000,000. was predicated
surplus revenues.
Increase Is Noted.
Despite the Budget Bureaus an
nouncement several months ago that
the estimates for the 1881 fiscal year
should not be in excess of the 1880 ap-
preparations. the s46.000.O00 ALLEGATION
represents an increase of approximate
| ly $2,000.000 over the current appropri-
ationS, and District officials feel that
with some persuasion the bureau may
allow a $48,000000 budget.
In arguing for a $48,000,000 budget,
the officials are expected to refer to the
appropriation act of 1923, which stipu-
lateS that the Commissioners. in their
discretion, may use any surplus depos-
| tied to the credit of the District in the
Federal Treasury, either for the purpose
of meeting expenses or lowering the tax
| rate.
Big Items in Budget.
Although the 100000 requested in
! the tentative estimates is the largest
amount ever sought by the District for
| any fiscal year, the increase was due
| largely to items for development of the
municipal center. In fact $4,000. 600
was asked for the municipal center alone
-S3.000,000 for completing the pur-
chase of the site for which an equal
amount was appropriated by the last
Congress and $500,000 for beginning
construction On the Courts Building,
| the first unit to be erected.
1t will house the police, municipal
and juvenile courts and the Office Of the
recorder of deeds.
AS a result of the Budget Bureaus
order to reduce the figure to 46,000.-
900, the Commissioners, it has been in
dicated, will cut the 100000 from the
municipal center items, rather than
further prune the estimates of the de-
partment heads, which were rather
severely trimmed when the tentative
budget was under preparation.