Evening star., 1937-10-31

ing aside the study Of important
problems In order that the Com
missioners and other District Off
cials may make their annual ap-
pearance before the employees Of the
Bureau of the Budget and justify
the estimates for the fiscal year
1899. Our cumbersome and unfair
budgetary procedure is at that stage
now and the taxation studies and
other important matters are held
in allegiance.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen
has again broken out in opposition
to this requirement and he has
struck responsive chord in Chair
man Palmisano Of the House Dis
trict Committee. Representative
Palmisano advocates the removal
of the District appropriations from
the Budget Bureau and goes even
further than any Of the civic bodies
have gone. He declares that he
would leave to the District Commis-
sioners the determining of the items
and amounts which would make up
the Districts annual supply bill.
Few citizens are SO optimistic as to
believe that Congress is willing to
20 that far and some, in fact, con-
fess that they would not favor
giving the Commissioners any
such power.
Giving the District its own civil
service system, entirely separate
and apart from the Federal body,
was also advocated by Representa-
tive Palmisano during the last
week. This is in harmony with the
demands of the Federation of Busi-
ness Mems Associations for the Gre
alton. of such agency and that all
District appointments be restricted
to those who have been bona flde
residents of the District for at least
five years. The District Commit
tee chairman believes that District
jobs should 60 to District people,
but he would exempt from the resi-
dental requirement any special
lists who might not be locally avail
able.
Throughout the organizations
the opposition continues to pile up
against the business privilege tax
as inequitable and generally inde-
fensible. A new angle has developed
on this obnoxious and unwanted
tax. 1t has been discovered that
various excise taxes may be de-
Quoted from the gross receipts upon
which this tax is based. Numerous
amended returns are being filed
and the estimated yield from this
tax is expected to be materially
reduced. Those vino have made
close study of this law offer it as
a striking example of the ineffi-
cient manner in which the Dis
trict's all-powerful legislature per-
forms that function imposed by the
Constitution.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission met last week
and had under consideration many
important matters. Some of the
street changes recommended to
facilitate the movement of traffic
and increase the safety of the streets
and the purchase Of additional
lands were among the questions
under discussion.
It's Your Chest
Once for AlI-EnOugh for All.
PERPLEXING and exasperating
civic problems like taxation
and budget must now be put aside,
temporarily, and all of the civic
and social-minded- join forces in
putting over the 1888 Washington
Community Chest Campaign in a
manner worthy of this fine COM
munity. We are without either
vote or representation in our Gov
ernment, We have no power Of in
any way determining either our
taxes or appropriations, but We can
all have a part in filling the Com
munity Chest. which is all ours. T
This will be the tenth annual
campaign and will run from No
vember 10 to %. Preliminary work
of the special assignments unit in
dicate q trend to substantial in
creases in the subscriptions among
the larger contributors. A goal of
s2,059,000 has been set for 1888,
which is 100000 more than. the
amount given for 1887. The extra
amount is required because the
neighboring counties are partici-
pating in the campaign and be-
cause this growing community has
increasing social problems which
must be met.
While the Community Chest has
now completed nine years Of highly
successful operation, there are still
those who have not grasped the
real Chest idea-the what, why
and how Of it. The Community
Chest is financing federation
which provides an efficient method,
through single campaign, of sup
plying all or part of the finan-
cial support of Washington's social
agencies. 1t substitutes one CAM
paign for independent campaigns
for each agency. 1t handles and
accounts for these funds through
one central Office instead OF
through SO.
The compelling reasons for q
Community Chest in place OF the
older and more complex independ-
ent campaign methods are many.
One campaign instead OF a null
tiplicity relieves the civic and
social-minded citizen OF much
time consuming work and releases
him for other civic and personal
activities. Through the Chest
method all beneficiary agencies
must pass the examination OF the
citizen management Of the Chest
and their budgets be approved.
The cost Of campaigns, collections
and accounting is greatly reduced
through the single campaign and
the central handling OF the FUNDS.
Many other reasons could be given
which would string the list out in
definitely.
How the Chest operates, beyond
the annual campaign, Is miSunder-