Evening star., 1934-09-30
BY JESSE C. SUTER.

1hEN OoOo WOIh ny ILlG
Commissioners on the Dis
trict budget has continued
~ during the past week. Most
of the week was spent
hearing department heads and
branches justify their preliminary
estimates and items. This con-
stitutes the third step in the
preparation of the budget under
the Commissioners new plan
with the public hearing. The
fourth step is the process Of pairing
down the estimates to somewhere
within the reach of the estimated
income.
The budget will then 60 to the
Bureau of the Budget, from which
it will be returned to the Com
missioners with the direction to
further reduce it to figure named
by that bureau. The Commis-
Sioners will then have to go over
the items again, SO as to bring
their total to the amount laid
down by the Budget Bureau.
After the Commissioners return
the revised budget to the Budget
Bureau that agency will go care
fully into every item, hear the
Commissioners and others and
then make up the final budget
for transmission to Congress.
House and Senate Appropriations
subcommittee will then consider
the items, hear the Commissioners
and other officials and some pri-
vate citizens. Personal visits will
be made to streets scheduled for
improvement and other prospective
work will be viewed by members
of these committees. 1t is truly
complicated example OF official
circumlocution, all stages of which.
with few exceptions, are shrouded
in secrecy.
Civic leaders have been pleased
to have the privilege Of presenting
their views to the Commissioners
after the disclosure of the pre-
liminary estimates. However, they
must wait a long time before
learning if their pleas have been
needed or not.
AS the Commissioners have in
troduced a modified method Of
budget preparation, civic leaders
continue hopeful some kind OF a
joint consideration plan, as sug-
gested by Senator Thomas, may
be put into operation when the
new Congress convenes. Such a
plan, it is pointed out, would save
the time of members of the House
and Senate committees, the time
of District officials and cut the
cost of reporting and printing the
hearings. II is also believed a
better understanding between the
two houses would result.
Southwest, Southeast and
Northeast Hold Spotlight.
II ZEN competition for public
n notice seems to exist just now
between the citizens associa-
tions of the Southeast, Southwest
and Northeast. The Northeast and
the Southeast groups are busily en-
gagged in forming neighborhood
conferences to further the i'm
provements of various kinds needed
for their sections. Each of these
sections is formulating programs
which they propose to push with
vigor during the coming year.
Southwest has sectional ambi-
tions. but it has not as yet an
nounced any new program. The
Southwest section will take the en-
tire spotlight. however, with its
monster parade tomorrow night in
celebration Of the reopening, re-
lighting and remaining of old Four
anda-Half street, which has been
designated as Fourth street. With
the street car tracks removed, a
new pavement and a short new
name this fine, broad thoroughfare
is expected to point the way to a
new birth and a new career for
this old historic section.
Some civic workers suspect this
big event planned by the consoli-
dated efforts of the organizations
OF the Southwest is simply the in
PRODUCTION to such a chapter Of
civic effort as has heretofore been
unknown for the reclamation of
the most conveniently located Sec
tions in the city.
The efforts of all these civic
bodies are of decided value to their
respective sections and to the en-
tire District, and are deserving of
the support of every citizen. 1t
will be unfair to the section, to the
District and to ones self to leave
this work to mere handful of
enthusiasts in each of these organ
iZations. The citizens who remain
out of these organizations or, if
in them, fail to attend meetings
assume a far greater responsibility
than if they actually enlisted in
the work. Civic duty is an indivi-
dual responsibility which cannot be
discharged by letting George do
it."