Evening star., 1934-10-28
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Rules Work Both Ways.

While there are even stronger argu-
inents in support of the increased lump
sum for which the Commissioners are
asking Budget Bureau approval, the
fact that the Budget Bureau has itself
established precedent in recommend
ing a change in the National contri-
button is important.
AS set forth in the article elsewhere
in the columns of today's Star, Budget
Bureau policy until March of 1888 was
to approve as the Federal contribution
IN District budgets the amount con-
tanned in the previous years appro-
priations. The District became the VIC
tim of vicious circle. Congress set
the lump sum contribution and. re-
gardless of the next years appropria-
ton demands or of equitable consider
ations, the Commissioners were forced
to base budget on the lump sum of
the past year, plus local revenues, to
conform to Budget Bureau policy. The
next estimates sent to Congress would,
therefore, recommend the past years
lump sum, regardless of equitable or
other considerations, and so it went.
In March of 1888, after the original
District appropriation bill for 1884 had
been lost in the dying Congress
through failure of the conference
agreement, Mr.. Douglas sent to Con-
gress a revised budget for 1884. This
budget reduced proposed District ex-
penditures by about 26 per cent under
the previous years appropriations, and
the same reduction, Mr.. Douglas ex-
planned, was applied to the lump sum.
which brought it down to the low
figure of $500, 900. an amount which
members of Congress argued could not
be changed because 1t was recon-
mended by the President, through the
Budget Bureau.
If Mr.. Douglas formula applied to
the 1884 budget were applied in prin-
ciple to the 1896 budget, the lump
sum would be increased by about a
third. The Commissioners are not
contending that the Douglas formula
should be automatically applied. They
are merely asking that the Federal
contribution be increased to the mini
mum amount necessary to finance,
with adequate local taxation, a budget
nance and development. They have
suggested the sum of s8,317,000, rep
resenting the average of lump sum
payments over the past ten years, and
roughly representing the average lump
sum payments since Congress de-
parted from the fixed ratio principle
of appropriations without repeating
the law which still requires fixed ratio
payments.
The Commissioners proposition is
fair as far as it goes. 1t does not, of
course, remove the basic evil of the
lump sum practice under which a
Federal contribution is made without
regard to the real, existing financial
obligation of the National Govern
ment. While the Budget Bureau is
powerless to settle this matter of
equity, it is charged with responsible
ity in passing on the justification for
appropriation requests. AS related in
The Star article today, the Commits
sioners' appropriation requests are
based on existing needs which must be
met and the increase in the Federal
contribution is necessary to meet
them. The Budget Bureau, in keeping
with its own precedent, can recon-
mend the increase in the lump sum.
The same story of accumulated
needs is shown throughout the budgets
estimates, but those of the schools
are particularly important. Since
1882 there has been little school con-
struction, and while the school en-
rollment has increased by 1916 pupils,
pupil accommodations have been in
creased in the same period by only
1,72o, while accommodations under
construction now will only raise this
total to less than 1000. There is no
anticipation OF new demands. The
District is busily engaged in building
up to deficiency in school accommo-
dations. The same condition applies
to the public libraries and to other
agencies. And this is the condition
that the Commissioners, beginning to-
morrow, are pleading with the Budget
Bureau to help remedy by approving a
budget that merely meets minimum
requirements.