Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-14
Men viii Be Given Work.

Inc release Dy buuseI b4SI1ol
Douglas of a part of the surplus gaSo-
line tax and water tax funds for ex-
,penditure on needed local improvements
and repairs to streets and water syS-
tenn means that men will have work.
That is good news, always. 1t is
better news today because men need
work more than ever before. There
are several hundred men in Washing
ton today who have been cheered by
the prospect of immediate employment,
and, as the future contracts are let,
more VIII have jobs before cold weather
sets IN. In relation to past eXpendi-
Aures in normal years, the $l,659,915
does not amount to a great deal. In
relation to the number of unemployed
in the city, the men to be given work
when this money is spent, may not
be of great Importance.
But men are being put to work, now,
and that is what counts. At the same
time, money collected from local tax
payers, which otherwise would lie idle
in the Treasury while the improve
ments paid for by the taxpayers were
unmade. will be spent for these i'm
proIements. The taxpayers Will re-
ceive, in other words. what they have
paid for
Mr.. Douglas presumably has had
reasons for not releasing the local funds
before now. What those reasons were
have not been clearly understood. But
the release of the money late yesterday
followed closely on the heels of Senator
Kings latest visit to the Bureau of the
Budget, and indicates the successful
results of the Senator's courteous in
sistence. amplified with convincing
argument, that the busy Budget Director
personally look into the matter and
take definite action. The community
is deeply indebted to Senator King for
his effective and timely intercession.
He has spent busy Summer in the
Capital and the release of the local
money became one of his many self
imposed tasks. He took the part not
taxpayers, but became their champion,
with gratifying results.
Congress authorized the Bureau of
the Budget to release as much as
$l,5O0,C0O of the gasoline tax surplus
and as much as $685., 900 of the water
fund surplus. OF the gasoline tax
surplus, the Bureau of the Budget has
allowed expenditures OF S1,158,640 of
the water fund surplus, S50l PTS. These
expenditures which have been author
lied. therefore. DO not exhaust the
surplus money in either fund At the
end of this fiscal year there will still
be a gasoline tax surplus of about
100000 and a water fund surplus of
about 1865 900.
Last Winter, when the House subcom-
mittee on District appropriations was
examining the first District appropria-
fion bill for 1934-Which failed-the at
tention of Chairman Cannon was drawn
to this water tax surplus, which had
accumulated because Congress, after in
CreaSing water rates about 30 or 40 per
cent refused to permit the carrying out
of the extension program for which the
rates had been increased.
Then said Chairman Cannon since
we are accommodating such a surplus.
why not lower the rate?"
That is still a most pertinent ques-
fion. After allowing this year ten per
cent discount on water bills for those
who pay them on time as a gesture to-
ward rate reduction, the water depart
ment will have an 1865, 900 surplus at the
end of the year. The money can be
spent for nothing but the water sys-
TEN, which is now being maintained
exclusively by local taxpayers, who fur
nish the Federal Government-one of
the large consumers-With free water
AS Congress will not spend the water
funds, the rates which produce them
obviously should be lowered