Evening star., 1932-12-08
Local Sayings-for Whom ?

Tne DSLTlCI UuOScl, III s'NNoA
with well established practice, is treated
as part and parcel Of the Federai
budget. The manner of such treat
ment this year is about the most inter
esting feature of the local budget. The
chief aim of all budget makers in
this fourth year of the depression IS
to demonstrate savings. Such savings
are demonstrated, on paper at least'
for the District as they are demon
strated for the strictly Federal estab-
lishmerts In the case OF the Dlstrlct
of Columbia the savings thus demon
strated approximate S4,497,622.
OF this total, some $2,3l2,6s5 repre-
sents the amount that is being saved
during the current fiscal year from
the workings of the economy act. The
remainder, generally speaking, repre-
sents the result of drastic cuts IN the
proposed future expenditures OF the
municipal departments.
The local taxpayer may ask, Savings
to whom? The local taxpayers con-
tribution to the expenses of the munich
pal government may be said to go, In
part, to the payment of salaries OF Mu-
nicipal Government employees. When
these salaries are reduced in the name
of economy the savings thus resulting
should be reflected in the local tax
bills. The local taxpayers contriou-
ton, through his local taxes, also goes
into local construction work, schools,
streets, etc. When such construction
work is reduced, these savings should
in theory-and as in other minicipal-
ities-be reflected in the local tax bills.
But in the case of the District of Co.
lumbia the savings are not thus re-
fected. Savings in municipal expendl-
ture in the appropriation bill for the
current fiscal year served to reduce the
Federal contribution-not the local
contribution-to expenses of the Fed
eral City. Savings shown on paper IN
the local budget will go, according to
the budget as now framed, largely to
maintain the reduction in the Federal
contribution. The local taxpayer re-
ceiyes no tangible benefit from these
savings.
AS q matter of fact, some OF the
savings listed in the budget are mislead-
ing. Take, for example, those shown
under the Department of Public Wei
fare-$470,0o0 in round numbers. For
the current year there was appropriated
$3.50, 900 for emergency relief. The esti-
mates for 1884 show nothing for ener-
gency relief, and thus there Is inn
mediately saved s350.o0o. But every
body knows that Congress must appro-
pirate for the District, and do it i'm
mediately, over million dollars more
for emergency reflex in the current fiscal
year. Instead of being reduced, public
welfare expenditures are going to be in
creased not only In this fiscal year, but,
unless there is relief from some source
not yet apparent, they are going to be
increased even more in the next fiscal
year, for which this budget is being
framed.
Another paper savings is effected by
the transfer to the gasoline tax fund
of certain money heretofore allocated
to street repair work out of the gen.
eral fund-to which the United States
makes its direct contribution. The saving
merely transfers an obligation from one
fund to another, and the fund to which
it is transferred is not one of the So
called 'divisible" appropriations to which
the Federal Government contributes
The local budget carries little for
construction work. Reduced capital
expenditures are the rule everywhere
these days, and other cities are also
seeking to hold their expenditures as
closely as possible to the cost of main
tenance. That is generally construed
as necessary form of economy, and
a nobody has suggested a practical alter
native, unless it be borrowing, which
also has its disadvantages. But the
curtailment of construction work mere
ly means the postponement of projects
that must be built. There are no per-
manent savings effected. Delayed prof.
ects will accumulate and at some day
in the not distant future they must be
undertaken in lump. In the mean
time, when public works cease it means
that certain proportion OF the tax
payers are thrown out Of work. A
number of them become public depend
ents The only offsetting feature is
reduced local tS-ation. That feature
+ is denied the District.