Evening star., 1933-12-31

ports with statements that there would
be no ''carpetbagging' in the District
Government and all loyal and efficient
employees would be retained in the
service
Yet some changes are to be made in
accordance with Commissioner HazenS
promise, in his inaugural address, to
! reorganize the Municipal Government
on a more efficient and effective basis.
| These changes are expected to effect
only department heads, and will not be
made until the Senate officially puts
Commissioners Hazen and Allen in Of
flee by confirming their appointments.
Committee Works
On Reorganizing Plan.
Aside from Commissioner Hazen's re-
organization plan, a committee Of Dis
trict officials, consisting of Maj. Dan
iel j. Donovan, auditor and budget
officer, and William A. Roberts, assist
ant corporation counsel, have been at
work throughout the year on scheme
for reorganizing the form of the Mu-
nicipal Government. These officials we're
appointed by the subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee. to act as
its agents in gathering all necessary
data, especially operating costs of the
Municipal Government.
In this connection, too, there were
several sporadic movements during the
year to divorce the District budget en-
tirely from the grip of the Federal
Bureau of the Budget and to settle
definitely the recurring controversy
over fiscal relations between the Fed
eral and District governments.
First, Representative Mary -. Nor
ton Of New Jersey, Chairman Of the
House District Committee. announced
her intention Of sponsoring legislation
authorizing the Commissioners to sub
init annual budget estimates direct to
Congress without Budget Bureau con-
sideration. She said she thought such
plan would enable Congress to handle
District fiscal affairs more efficiently
and expeditiously.
Then Auditor and Budget Officer
Donovan recommended in a report to
Mrs. Norton that the District financial
administration be completely divorced
from the Federal Government and that
joint congressional committee be Gre
ated to handle all District affairs in
Congress. Donovan expressed belief his
plan would go far toward removing the
annual agitation over the amount of
Federal participation in the expenses
OF the District government and pre-
vent the Budget Bureau from applying
the Federal yardstick to measure the
budget estimates of the District.
Fiscal Relations
Settlement Sought.
Later there followed on Capitol Hill
move to get together the committee
OF the House and Senate which handles
the District appropriation bills at this
coming session of Congress for the pur-
1ofi
controversy, and a promise by Com
missioner Hazen to appeal for amicable
adjustment Of this question when he
makes his defense Of the 1885 District
estimates.
These 1885 estimates, incidentally,
will go to Congress soon after it con-
venes, calling for appropriations to-
falling about S38 900 O00-a budget pre-
dicted on continuance of the existing
$3.50 tax rate and a Federal contri-
button of $5,70O.000.
The appropriations for the 1884 fiscal
year amounted to S30.375 900. exclusive
of permanent and indefinite appropria-
tions which recur annually, which rep
resented reduction of about S6. 900 900
under the total originally approved
by the Budget Bureau.
The original 1884 appropriation bill
met q sad fate in the final session of
the Seventy-second Congress, where it
died because Of refusal of the House
to agree to the conference report on the
measure. In the revised bill that fol-
lowed, the economy minded Seventy
third Congress shaved about Sc, 900 600
from the original figures, and reduced
the Federal lump sum contribution to
$5,700,000 In the 1888 fiscal year the
contribution amounted to ST,775,000.
This bill, despite its inequities, re-
moved a provision which permitted the
Commissioners in the years between
1880 and 1888, inclusive, from tamper-'
ing with the tax rate, and as result,
the levy for the current fiscal year was
reduced from S170 to $50. This re-
duction, coupled with cuts in indi-
vidual cases in assessments. were de-
signed to save District taxpayers
IS, SOC, 900.
T.