Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-20
Leaders in Congress Proud of
~ Showing for Five-Year Ad-
miniStration Period.
EXPENDED,
] THIRD FOR EDUCATION
Last Years Total $35, 663, O60, an
Increase Consistent With
Those of Each Year.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Leaders in Congress, who have made
an intensive survey of the municipal
administration of the National Capital,
find 1t an outstanding example for the
entire country of a city where the tax
payers get very close to 100 cents in
Simmons of the subcommittee which
handles the District appropriation bill
emphasizes this. 1t is the opinion also
of Representative Gibson of Vermont,
chairman of the special subcommittee
which has made comprehensive sur
vey of the District government. Congress
takes personal pride in this fact, be-
cause the District government is ex-
clusively under the jurisdiction of Con-
gress.
Now, how is the tax dollar spent?
Daniel j. Donovan, the District auditor,
has just completed for Congress sta
tistical study covering all appropriations
for the last five-year period, ended
June 30, 1928.
The expenditures, by years, is as fol-
lows: In 1924, $23, 800, 400; in 1925,
S2e ,654,6O7; in 1926, $31,oO1,12 in
1927, $34,125,037; in 1923, $35 1858 ,060
This makes a total for the five years of
$154434316 These figures include eX-
penditureS from the gasoline tax fund,
but do not include expenditures from
water revenue and from trust funds
The gasoline tax fund amounted to
$4,131 1886.
Third for Education.
Practically one-third of the entire ex-
penditure was for public education. In
1924, 32.6 cents of each tax dollar was
spent on schools; in 1925, BIZ cents; in
1926, 31.8 cents; in 1927, 1922 cents, and
in 1928, 1927 cents. For special educa-
ton and libraries together the fund
each year was less than l cent in each
tax dollar. So that the total for edu-
cational agencies averaged for the five
year period was 1873 cents out Of each
tax dollar.
Protection of life and property took
the next largest slice out of the tax
dollar, averaging an even II cents per
year for the last five years. The largest
percentage was in 1926, when it was
17.9 cents and it dropped to 15.9 cents
in 1928. This division of expenditures
includes police, fire and miscellaneous
costs.
Highways took an average Of lit
cents of each tax dollar. This division
includes improvements, maintenance.
bridges, street lighting, street trees and
miscellaneous matters. In 1924 the ex.
penditures for these purposes was 1913
cents OF each tax dollar, which climbed
to 12.5 cents last year.
Charities and Corrections.
Charities and corrections received
over the hve-year period ia cents of
each tax dollar. This includes munich
pal institutions, private institutions,
support of insane and prisons and re-
formatories. The lowest amount was in
1925 and 1927, when los cents per dol
lar was allocated, but last year it was
increased to 1873 cents per dollar.
Health and sanitation took 10 cents
per dollar per year for the past five
year period. This includes expenditures
for the Health Department, sewers,
street cleaning, city refuse and other
miscellaneous expenditures. The largest
was in 1924, when it amounted to 1915
cents out of each tax dollar, but 1t
dropped to 81 cents last year.
For recreation the District is paying
81 cents out of each tax dollar. This
includes the costs of parks and play
each tax dollar in 1924 and 80 cents
last year.
For public service enterprises the
cost averages 81 cents per dollar for
the last five-year period. This includes
markets, increased water supply and
miscellaneous costs. They averaged ga
cents in 1924, IA in 1925, 6.5 in 1925,
Sc in 1927 and dropped to 10 last year.
The costs of the general government
over the flve-year period was As cents
per dollar per year. This includes sala-
ries, courts and miscellaneous expendi-
lures. It was 81 cents in 1924 and 40
cents last year.