Evening star., 1934-01-05
The District Budget.


1895 estimates, wrote that the budget
recommendations submitted by the de-
partment heads totaled S44,S97 1903 and
the Commissioners delegated to their
Economy Committee the duty of care
fully INVESTIGATING the recommended
tions and reporting thereon to the
Commissioners" The auditor con-
tinued;
The committee spent more than
three weeks in its studies OF budget
needs for the next fiscal year, mad all
the department heads before 1t to
supply such information and data as
might be required, and the committee
has recommended to the Commission
ers well-balanced budget for that
year within the total OF
s39. 100000.
The budget for the District of Co
lumbia forwarded yesterday to Congress
from the Bureau of the Budget carries
a total of s35,82l, ,O13-a decrease be-
low the estimates of the Commission
ers' Economy Committee of about
three and half million dollars. A
part of the difference is represented
in the decision to restore only flve per
cent of the fifteen per cent pay cut
bv statute-instead of the full fifteen
per cent at the beginning OF the next
fiscal year
But if the Commissioners estimates
represented a well balanced local
budget for the next year, providing Tor
a minimum of Improvements and leaV-
ing a moderate surplus in all funds. the
local budget has been thrown out OF bal
ance bv the Bureau of the Budget rec
concentrations. This is indicated by the
fact that appropriations made on the
basis of Budget Bureau recommended
tions would leave a surplus Of unspent
local revenues amounting to about $5,-
4O3.O00, not including the anticipated
revenues from local taxes on the sale
Of alcoholic beverages, which have
been estimated at about $785,oOO.
When more taxes are collected from the
taxpayers than the appropriating au-
thorities are willing to spend, the budget
is unbalanced.
In the case of the District of Colum-
bia the depression scale of appropri-
ating has practically halted all i'm
provementS. No school sites have been
purchased for several years and none
is provided for in the budget just sent
to Congress Increasing congestion in
both high and elementary schools in
dicates the desirability of school build
ing now to relieve the congestion that
in a few years will become more acute.
BY the time the estimates In this bill
are enacted into law the normal school
enrolment will have increased about
1000. with practically the same num-
ber of teachers as at present and little
new construction to take care OF the
increase.
Last year the Budget Bureau esti-
mates were increased when the COM
mittees of Congress examined them,
and this year there is hope that con-
scientious study of District needs in
Congress will result in increases of some
of the items, at least, that seem to have
been subjected to rather arbitrary
treatment by the Bureau Of the Budget.
For the really essential needs of a
growing municipality must be met, and
if they are not met this year they must
be taken care of next year Such needs
are not intelligently dealt with when
they are postponed while there is money
to pay for them. In examining the
District bill this year, the committees
of both houses should bring the local
budget into balance either by spending
available revenues on needed improve
ments, or by wiping out excessive COL
lection of revenue by tax reduction.
The Bureau of the Budget has recon-
mended a twenty-five per cent reduction
in water taxes, with an increase in the
minimum amount of water usable at
fat rate. That is a sound recon-
mendation, and will prevent in some
degree the accumulation of a large,
usable water fund surplus.
But in another respect the Bureau
of the Budget is subject to criticism
for inconsistency of method in fixing
the amount of the Federal contribu-
ton. Last years estimates, as sent
from the Bureau of the Budget, re-
duced the lump sum by about twenty
six per cent, and it was explained that
'this reduction is approximately the
same percentage of reduction which
the total of estimates herewith
for 1884 bear to the same ap-
preparations for 1888"
This year the same lump sum OF
s57oo 900 is proposed, although the
total estimates are increased by 0'S
per cent. AS long as the Bureau OF
the Budget has applied the same per-
centage Of reduction to the lump sum
that it applies to the total estimates, 1t
is only reasonable to expect the ap-
plication of a like percentage OF In
crease when estimates are greater.
OF course, after increases making the
Budget Bureaus recommendations con-
sistent, much remains to be done before
the result is attained of a balanced
and Just budget.