Evening star., 1934-03-07
Study of the 1885 Estimates.

Study of the 1885 Estimates.
Something more than the rather
nominal consideration given the Dis
trlct estimates last year by the
House Subcommittee on Appropria-
tions should be given the estimates
for 1885. which the subcommittee is
scheduled to take up today. Last
year the study Of District estimates
was more or less confined in the
House to stamping hasty 20. K" on
the figures prepared by the Bureau Of
the Budget. This year changing con-
ditions demand a more thorough and
more sympathetic examination of
the needs of a growing municipality
which has felt the economy ak for
several years in succession.
Unlike the departmental estimates
with which the District bill is Jumped,
most of the revenue which the COM
mittee is to allocate for expenditure
in the next fiscal year comes from
local taxation, which does not prop
erly figure in national budget -balanc-
ing. The needs presented for con-
Sideration are those Of a growing
municipality, maintaining services for
which the taxpayers are charged. The
effort of the subcommittee should be
to consider the relative importance of
these needs and to appropriate for
them the money raised by local taxa
ton, plus the Federal contribution,
without attempting to establish sur
pluses of no benefit either to the local
taxpayers or to the national Treasury.
The Budget Bureaus estimates do
not, OF course, accurately represent
the city's needs. These estimates are
the result of an arbitrary process
of whiting down, which the Bud
get Bureau continues to apply to
the Commissioners recommendations
without attempting to demonstrate
either the necessity, the wisdom or
the forethought of the cuts. If the
budget recommendations were fol-
lowed. the result would be to create
additional surplus funds of local rev.
enues to be boarded in the Treasury
without interest, while the needs for
which taxpayers are made to pay in
advance go unmet.
Since the Budget Bureau for
warded its recommendations to Con-
gress in January there have been two
developments which alter the pic
ture then presented. The restoration
Of Federal pay will automatically in
crease the District estimates and re-
duce in part the estimated surplus of
revenues in the general tax fund
The Commissioners have prepared
supplemental estimates and forwarded
them to the Bureau of the Budget,
proposing additional expenditures on
needed construction and for emer-
gency relief, which would further in
crease the estimates. The Bureau of
the Budgets decision regarding these
supplemental requests has not been
made known. If they are approved,
to the estimates, the local budget
would be more nearly balanced.
These developments affect only the
general tax fund. If Budget Bureau
recommendations are followed in
spending the gasoline tax money, an
other idle and useless surplus in this
department will result, despite the ur-
gent necessity of undertaking needed
street repair and extension work In
connection with the water fund
which, like the gasoline tax, is a
special earmarked fund-the Budget
Bureau has very wisely proposed a
fiat water rent reduction, which
would, in part, prevent continuation
Of the evil of charging higher rates
for water than the needs of the sys-
tenn demand. At the same time, the
committee will have the advantage of
recent memorandum from Commits
sioner Gotwals, proposing a reduction
in assessments for water and sewer
main installation to prevent the gross
overcharges, approximating 100 per
cent, in this service.
More important than anything else,
perhaps, is the necessity which becomes
more apparent every day for some
systematic planning for future needs
Of the city-something that is in
turn possible only with the develop
ment of a fair and equitable system
Of sharing the expenses in Capital
City development between the local
taxpayers and the National Govern
ment. Chairman Cannon of the
on District appropria-
lions has before him letter written
several months ago by Senator