Evening star., 1933-03-31
Confusion of Bu gets.

Joined by large number of Republic
ans, have patriotically united them.
selves behind the President in his econ
omy program and other measures de-
signed to hasten national reconstruc'
ton, has had the effect of "timulat-
ing tonic on the morale O. tE2 people
everywhere. There is leadership in The
White House coupled with responsive
cooperation on Capitol Hill. Such
unity is necessary element in rebuild
ing from the wreckage of this depres-
sion.
But, paradoxically enough this spirit
of whole-hearted support of anything
and everything that is classed as part
of the Presidents program threatens to
become the very means by which the
District of Columbia and its taxpayers
are to be placed in the rack and un-
necessarily punished in the name OF
economy.
The explanation is simple enough
and might as well be candidly stated
The District estimates have come from
the Budget Bureau and the President
apparently as part of the emergency
legislation to be considered at this spe-
cial session of Congress. If viewed as
q part of the Presidents program, 1t
has behind it the weight and prestige
of other parts of that program. Oppo-
sition to the bill, or its amendment, to
prevent the obviously illogical execu-
tion of its provisions might be inter-
preted as opposition to the Presidents
program None of the administration
leaders at the Capitol wishes to oppose
any part of the Presidents program.
Loyal Americans who are local tax
payers understand that as well as any
body else. Yet they feel it is entirely
consistent to support the President and
his program of national budget bal
ancing, no matter what individual or
joint hardships are imposed, and at
the same time protest with all the
strength that is in them the unnec-
essarily harsh and wholly unfair pro-
visions of this pending District appro-
priation bill, so far as it affects expendi-
ture of the local tax dollars.
Those familiar with the fundamen-
tails of the division of expenses be-
tween the Federal Government and the
local community of voteless taxpayers
understand fully the unprecedented
significance of the Budget Bureaus
handling of the pending estimates.
1t is impossible to justify on any
conceivable ground the Budget Bureaus
proposals In relation to the municipal
budget, which has been treated as if
balancing the national budget depended
upon how many local tax dollars are to
be piled up in the Federal Treasury
unavailable for budget-balancing or
anything else.
1t is, OF course, absurd to suppose that
It makes any difference, financial or
otherwise, to national taxpayers in Cal
ifornia whether a couple of new trash
incinerators, just completed at local
taxpayers expense, are to be kept in
operation, or whether the trash is to be
burned, as before, on the trash dump
across the Potomac, thus saving a few
thousand dollars. 1t makes no diff
ference to citizens of Texas and their
Federal tax burdens whether local street
improvement is continued, Or whether
the streets are to deteriorate while the
gasoline tax money collected from WASH
ington motorists lies idle in the Treasury.
Federal taxes of the citizens of Mich
igan are unaffected when excess water
revenues, collected from a recent rs
per cent boost in local water taxes.
are boarded in the Treasury while men
are denied the right to earn their daily
bread-even by digging bitches for new
water mains. 1t is not going to help
the national economic situation to
crowd local school children into double
shifts. discharge the architects hired
to design new buildings, eliminate the
purchase Of building materials and
deny employment to day laborers and
skilled mechanics while the money to
do such things lies idle and unusable
in the Federal Treasury.
The only item in the District appro-
priation bill which is possibly subject
to the Presidents plan for percentage
curtailment of all national expenditures
is the lump sum national contribution
The Districts main complaint concern
ing this particular lump sum curtaileo
figure is that the percentage curtail-
ment is not figured upon the right pri-
mary lump sum amount.
Tne other items OF the District bill
are almost without exception not ma
tional expenditures, but the expendi-
lures Of local tax money paid solely BY
local taxpayers and usable only to NEE
municipal needs.
acts not as President cutting down ma.
tional expenditures to balance the ma
tional budget, but as Governor of tn,
District and Mayor of Washington
striving to give the local taxpayinl
community a wise and well balance,
municipal budget.
This budget is wise only when tn
real, municipal needs are adequatel
met and when cuts eliminate only un
necessary or extravagant and wastefu
expenditures. This budget is well bal
anced only when local taxation pro
duces an amount sufficient to meet ade
quately genuine municipal needs an
nothing more except a comfortabl
margin for emergencies. The bulge
Is neither wise nor well balanced if
SO cuts expenditures as to cripp
wholesome municipal activities, or II