Evening star., 1933-04-28
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

The action of the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee in raising the Federal
contribution in the 1884 District bill
to s6,25o,Oo0 is justifiable even under
the formula which prompted the Budg-
ct Bureau to recommend lump sum
of only s5,7O0,OOO, District Auditor
Donovan shows in the Senate hearings
on the bill, made public today.
In fact, the Senate t---ttimony IS to
the effect that s6,25o,o0o is only the
Federal share which should have ac-
companied the total G. the bill as 1t
passed the House under fair interpre-
tation of the yardstick by which the
Budget Bureau ordered the estimates
reduced.
Comparisons Made.
The Budget Bureau ordered the orig
inal 1884 District bill reduced to q
limit of $33,000,000. It then compared
this figure with total appropriations
for the current year of $45, ,622
Gncluding gas tax, water fund, trust
funds and a deficiency item OF $685.
900 for emergency relief. The COM
parison showed that the limitation on
the new estimates meant q cut OF
26.86 per cent under current appropri-
ations. The bureau then decided to
apply that same percentage OF reduc-
ton to the Federal share, which re-
suited in bringing the current lump
sum of Sits 900 down to SIS, O.0OO
While the Senate report on the Dill
shows net reduction in the total OF
the bill from $50, ,292 ,442 to $29 1884, ,8O5,
these figures do not take into account
the $2,135, 900 Of surplus gas tax and
water funds which may be spent by the
Commissioners for public improvements
under the Senate bill, but which are not
carried in the total because they are
classed as indefinite appropriations.
Counting these permissible expendi-
lures, therefore, there could be $3l. .72O,-
8O5 spent under the Senate bill. The
Senate, in fact, increased the amount
of gasoline tax money that may be
spent.
The House bill authorized $l,o4o. 900
of gas tax surplus to be spent subject
to the approval of the President and
s635, 1000 of water funds to be spent on
the same basis, or q total of 81 ,675, 900.
but made no corresponding adjustment
in the Federal share of $5,700,000. The
Senate Committee added S460,000 to the
gas tax lump sum and approved the
House figure for water funds making
total of $2,135, 900 that may be spent
from these two sources in lump sum.
Another factor which produces the net
reduction figure in the Senate report Is
the recommendation that the District
be relieved In 1884 from paying back
another Sl,000,000 to the United States
for park purchase advances, as re-
quired by the House bill.
Auditor Donovan demonstrated to the
Senate committee that, considering
the changes made by the House, the
lump sum should be at least $4,000, 900
in order to be consistent even with the
formula of the Budget Bureau.
Declared Not Equitable.
The auditor went further, however,
and demonstrated that the Budget
Bureau, in comparing 1888 appropria-
1924. in order to determine the per-
centage by which the Federal contri-
button was to be cut, did not make
an equitable comparison OF eXpend1-
lures for salaries in the two years. II
this adjustment is made. as contended
by the auditor, the Federal contrlbu-
ton in the bill as it passed the House
should have been s6,25o,0o0. Explain
ing his contention regarding tne
Budget Bureaus method OF comparing
1888 appropriations with the 1884 es-
Inmates, Auditor Donovan told the
Senate committee:
opinion. should be considered IN nxng
the Federal contribution to the DISTRICT
for the fiscal year 1884 and continuing
to use the mathematical formula adopt
ed by the Budget Bureau. I have pre-
yiously stated that the total approprla-
tions for 1888 amounted to SAB ,o21.
This amount included appropriations Ior
salaries on a 100 per cent basis. The
s33 900 900 budget submitted for 1884
included salary appropriations on an %
per cent basis. Under the 1883 appro-
priations reductions were made man
datory by the provisions OF the economy
act of 8ls per cent in all salary items.
In other words, the effect OF the ap-
ment was to reduce salary appropria-
tions for 1888 by this 8la per cent,
which amounts to $2,053,688. 1t is
submitted therefore, that an equitable
and proper comparison of the total OF
the 1888 appropriations with the
amount of the bill for 1884 as passed
by the House would be as follows:
Calculates Reductions.
Total for 1888, s45,122, ,622, less a
deduction of 813 per cent in salaries,
s2.053, ,688, leaving the actual amount
of expendable appropriations S43,068,-
934. The total of the bill as passed by
the House, including the two amend
ments adopted on the floor of the House.
is $34,6 ,942 On this basis, the total
of the 1884 bill as passed by the House
is S8,403, ,992 less than the 1888 appro-
priations, or 1851 per cent. Applying
this percentage to the amount OF the
$7,775,000, would represent a reduction
in the Federal contribution for 1884 Of
s1,516.9OO. Deducting this amount
from the Sits, 900 would make the
Federal contribution for 1884, figured
on that basis, $6,258,000.
ANY additions made by the Senate
to the total of the bill as passed by the
House would proportionately (stin con-
tinuing to use the mathematical for
mula of the Budget BureaU increase
the amount of the Federal contribution
for next year."
Arguments Of Commissioners.
The hearings also contain the argu-
ments submitted by the Commissioners,
through Donovan, as to why the Dis
trict should be allowed to spread over
longer period of time the reimburse
ments it must make to the Federal
Treasury for park lands purchased un-
der the Capper- -Cramton park develop
ment law. The theory Of that law was
that $16,O0O,OOO would be appropriated
from the Treasury within few years
in order to buy up contemplated park
areas to the best advantage, the District
government to reimburse the United