Evening star., 1936-02-06
BATTLE Of BUDGET
WAGED IN HOUSE
BY CITY OFFICIALS
Hazen Warns Chiefs Hear
lngs Before BIanton Group
Must Be Secret.
READY TO SHOW SUM
is $4,377,160 TOO LOW
Estimates Will Force District to
Pile Up Surplus of So, ,000, 900
Due to Cut in Items.

The Commissioners today began their
annual battle before the House SUBJ
committee on Appropriations in de-
fense of the Budget Bureaus approved
estimates for the 1887 fiscal year with
an unusual injunction for secrecy.
At the instance of Representative
Blanton, who is conducting the hear
ings, Commissioner Hazen has fatty
forbidden any District department
head to reveal anything discussed
before the subcommittee.
At the District Building this morn
ing it was revealed that Hazen had
sent mirneographed order to all
department heads which stated:
1T must be thoroughly understood
that the hearings before the commit
tee are executive and no information
Is to be released. Heads of depart
ments will be held strictly accountable
and responsible for any information
so divulged."
While the hearings have been ex-
ecutive for a number of years, the
only warning not to divulge the pro-
ceedings has been delivered verbally
to the witnesses as they left the stand.
The Commissioners are prepared to
\ \ehow-if given legal chance-that the
s43, 100000 budget under consideration
by the subcommittee falls short by
k4,377,160 of the amount they calculat-
ed would be needed in the coming fiscal
year to finance the Nations capital and
provide only the most urgent of
public improvements. But, under ex-
listing law and the recently promul-
gated gag rule" of the Budget Bu-
reau, the Commissioners will be pro-
hibited from discussing anything but
items in the budget, unless requested
by members of the subcommittee.
Blanton in Charge.
The budget hearings opened before
. subcommittee headed by new
chairman - Representative Blanton,
Democrat, of Texas, who replaced
Representative Cannon, Democrat, of
Missouri. Blanton already has made
q cursory examination of the budget
and pronounced it fair" in his
opinion. The Commissioners, how
ever, think otherwise, because it
omits several of their most important
recommendations, notably a Federal
payment of S8,317 500 toward the ex-
penses of the District. The Budget
Bureau fixed the Federal share at
S5,70O,000, the same amount as appro-
priated for the current fiscal year.
The hearings are expected to last
for several weeks. Aside from District
officials, a number of civic leaders are
to be given an opportunity to outline
their views on the needs of the Dis
trict.
Blanton has thoroughly prepared
for the hearings. He is reported to
have assembled in advance a mass of
information relating to the Districts
taxes, the public schools, and facili-
ties for care of tuberculosis patients.
The estimates which the Subcom-
mittee is considering, although more
urged by the Commissioners. are
\ S878,385 greater than the appropria-
tion for the current fiscal year. Even
SO, these estimates will force the Dis
trict to pile up a surplus of about
100000 of unobligated revenues in
the coming fiscal year because Of the
Budget Bureaus cuts in the items
proposed by the Commissioners About
Sl,000,000 of this prospective surplus,
according to latest estimates, will be in
the gasoline tax and water funds, and
the remainder in the general revenues
Many Projects Omitted.
The estimates sent to Congress by
the Budget Bureau failed to include
more than a score of projects recon-
'mended by the CommisSioners-items
chiefly for the public schools which
have long been suffering from over
crowded conditions. - Even an emer-
gency relief item was cut nearly $780,
600 below the inadequate $4,000 900
appropriated for the present fiscal
year. The reduction in this item,
however, will be offset by proposals of
separate appropriations for care of the
needy, aged and blind under the new
social security law. For old-age care
the estimates call for $289, 800, and for
the needy blind. $4,000.
Among the few improvements al
lowed in the budget are additions to
seven schools, a new branch library in
Petworth, and a vocational school for
girls to replace the old Dennison
School.