Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-10
Increase Shown in Certain
Departments, While Others
Have Fallen off.
CALCULATIONS BASED
ON FlVE-YEAR PERIOD
Education Heads List, With Pro-
lection of Life and Property,
and Highways Next.

The percentage of expenditure of the
District appropriations for schools. high
ways, public welfare and general over
heads have increased during the past
five years, while that for health and
sanitation, public service enterprises and
protection of life and property has de-
creased. This is shown in a compilation
of figures made by District Auditor
Daniel j. Donovan for the information
of the congressional appropriation COM
mittee when they come to consider the
District appropriation bills.
The calculations are based on appro-
priations for the past five fiscal years
amounting to S166, 1868, 104 This figure
includes the gasoline tax, in order that
all the activities of the highway depart
ment may be shown. 1t does not include
the water revenues, out of which the
water distribution system is maintained
Nor does it include the various trust and
special funds.
Education Heads List.
The chart shows that for the five
years the greatest expenditure, 1913 per
cent, was for education; expenditures
for other public purposes follow in this
order: Protection of life and property,
1871 per cent; highways. 1874 per cent;
public welfare. 11.9 per cent; health
and sanitation, 81 per cent; recreation,
ga per cent; general government (over-
head, At per cent; public service en-
terprises Gncluding the water supply
SYSTEM, 4.3 per cent; miscellaneous,
4-10ths Of l per cent, and interest on
debt, 2-10ths of l per cent.
Separating these percentages out over
the various years, it is seen that the
percentages of expense for education
ho fan 1o-
ing 31.9, 1928, SO, 1877 and 342. The
figures given for education include the
money spent for all educational pur-
poses, including libraries. The percent
age for libraries, however. is in no year
as great as one-tenth of one per cent.
From these figures it would seem that
the contention of the Board of Educa-
ton that it should be allotted one third
of the money available for public pur-
poses has been met. The figures are
even more favorable if the gasoline tax
is not taken into consideration. This
money could not, under the law, be al
lotted for schools or any purpose other
than the building and repair of roads
and streets. With this eliminated, edu-
cation during the five-year period has
caused the expenditure of 34.3 instead
OF 1873 per cent of the appropriations,
according to Mr.. Donovan's figures.
Street Expenditures Increase.
The percentage spent for highways,
which includes improvement mainte-
nance, bridges, street lighting, street
trees and miscellaneous expenses has
risen somewhat more irregularly Over
the five years the percentages have
been. respectively, 11.2, 12.4, 1872. 125
and 141.
Expenses for public welfare have also
risen sharply. but irregularly. These
include municipal institutions such as
hospitals. private institutions to which
the District lends aid. support of the
insane and prisons and reformatories.
The percentages for these purposes
over the five years were los, Ill, los,
1913 and 1879.
General government, the head under
which the salaries of the principal
municipal officers, upkeep Of the Dis
trict Building and the courts comes,
has increased as follows: 4.3, 4.3, 40,
40 and 5.4
Turning to the decreases. an irreg,l-
lar curve is shown by health and sani-
tation. which includes expenditures for
the Health Department, sewers, street
cleaning, disposal of city refuse and
miscellaneous. This heading showed
the following percentages: 81, go, 10,
81 and 9!4.
Decnne IN Pubic Service.
The sharpest decline of all is shown
by the public service enterprises, which
include the water supply system. This
dropped from Sc in 1927 to 10 in 1928
and to 0.6 in 1929. This was princi-
pally caused by completion of certain
major Improvements in the water sup
ply system. The percentages in 1925
and 1926, when these works were in
progress, were IA and 6.5, respectively.
The percentages during the five-year
period for protection of life and prop
erty, including the police and fire de-
partments, were II, 17.9. Ill, $50 and
15.5. The percentage appropriated for
the police department has constantly
declined. while that appropriated for
the fire department has varied. Both
will probably take sharp Jump If the
new salary bill for policemen and fire.
men Is passed. The percentages spent
for parks and recreation were ga, Al.
60, 80 and ga.
The item interest and debt" appears
only in 1925, when the last of the
municipal bonds were retired. The Dis
trict has now no bonded debt. In that
year payments on account of the debt
amounted to per cent of the appro-
priation.