Evening star., 1935-12-29
Physical Improvement Plan
Seen Bearing Most oil.
Big Reductions.
BOOST OVER PRESENT
TOTAL MAY BE SMALL
Lump Sum Proposal of $S,317 500
Is Assumed to Have Been Cut
to Present So, 700, 900.
BY DON s. WARREN.

budget estimates proposed by the Com
missioners have been made by the
Budget Bureau, it was indicated yes
terday at the District Building.
Proposals for permanent physical
improvements especially have suffered
the cut of the pruning knife In the
proposed SAT .482, 900 budget. 1t was as
sumed, since these normally are the
first items to be. reduced by the Bud
get Bureau when it slices estimates.
Unofficial estimates were that the new
budget would not be greatly in excess
of the $42, ,000,0 900 allowed by Congress
for the present fiscal year.
The assumption is that the Budget
Bureau has again rejected the pro-
posal of the Commissioners for boost
in the Federal payment toward ex-
penses of the National Capital. The
Commissioners had proposed the pay
ment be $S,3l7 500 for the next fiscal
year, against s5,700,0G0 for the cur
rent year. It Is assumed the bureau
cut this back to the IS. 1000 allowed
by Congress for this year.
Details to Be Known Soon.
Details of the actions OF the Budget
Bureau will be made known in few
days, since President Roosevelt will
forward the District estimates to Con-
gress shortly after the opening OF the
session starting Friday. The Commis-
sioners and other District ofhciaE
yesterday declined to discuss what they
may know of the decisions reached by
the Budget Bureau on the estimates,
since these are by legislative rule
secret until the report is laid before
Congress by the President.
However, it was repgted that the
extent of the cuts had shocked some
officials.
The Commissioners have main
tanned silence in the past two weeks
regarding plans for holding a public
hearing on proposals for increases
and other revisions Of the District tax
program.
Several weeks ago . special COM
mittee of District officials. appointed
to recommend changes in the tax
system, submitted q partial report
which suggested, by inference. the
need of greatly increased revenues,
80 as to meet mounting maintenance
and operation costs Of the District
and to provide declared needs OF in
creased outlays for permanent Inn
provements, such as schools, libraries,
fire stations and road improvements.
Higher Payment Need Indicated.
The budget for the present year
allowed only some $500. 900 for cap
ital outlay, whereas for the period
from 1924 to 1929 the figure was
about $4,000, 900 annually. The sug-
gestion Of the committee was that
this sum must be increased to per-
haps at least s7,500,000 a year. The
report therefore indicated the need
of an increased Federal payment as
well as possible boosts in District
taxes.
The Commissioners had sought o
Federal payment for the next fiscal
year of $8,317,500 on the theory that
this was approximately the average Of
the Federal payments during the last
10 years. The same plan had been
offered a year ago and while the
Budget Bureau cut this to the level Of
the previous years payment approved
by Congress, it was recalled the Senate
had adopted the Commissioners pro-
posal The House, however. insisted
on the $5,700,o00.
Yesterdays developments recalled
that the Commissioners are favorably
considering Q proposal by Comnis-
sioner Melvin G. Ha7en to have the
to congressional committees, leaving
to the Budget Bureau only the pre-
rogative of suggesting to Congress
what should be the Federal payment.
Commissioner Hazen has empha-
sized this would not In any wise limit
the powers Of Congress Of exclusive
jurisdiction over the District, but
would permit the Commissioners to
have their original estimates sent
directly to Congress without change
by Federal administrative officers who
are primarily concerned with control
over estimates of Federal departments.
Increases Proposed.
The budget proposed by the Com
missioners contained numerous sug-
gested increases for various divisions OF
the municipal governments but the ma
jor boosts were proposed for the
schools, welfare and sewer depart
ments. It Is believed the greatest cuts
fell to capital outlays proposed for
these departments.
While the total of the budget pro-
posals of the Commissioners repre-
sented a considerable boost over the
total Of appropriations for this year,
the city heads themselves slashed
nearly $4,000, 900 from the estimates
originally proposed by the department
heads. Their original requests totaled
more than SIS. 400. 900.
For the operation and maintenance
of the school system the Commis-
sioners proposed appropriations OF
$11 ,576, 500 as against $l0.632, 900 for
this year. For new school building
programs the Commissioners asked
81, ,121 900 as against an appropriation
Of but $775,000 for this year. For
purchase Of land for school sites the
Commissioners sought an appropria-
tion of $261 900 as against an actual
appropriation Of $55. 900 for this year.
The Commissioners proposed q
budget of 81. e.400, 900 for units Of the
District government, as against an
actual appropriation Of $7,5oo.00o for
this year. For the Sewer Department
they proposed q budget OF 81 SOC, 900
as against $4,000 for this rear.