Evening star., 1938-11-20
mutton of possible outlays for capital
outlays, Maj. Donovan said:

| nuJlOn OF possible OutlayS for capital
outlays, Maj. Donovan said:
ut is interesting to note that at
the close of the fiscal year 1880 the
unappropriated surplus hit high
mark of close to $9.5OO,OOO. It will
be further noted that this large
sum, plus all current revenues, was
consumed by appropriations made
for the fiscal years 1881, 1882 and
1888, leaving at the close of the
last named year small revenue
deficit of $62,743.
Surplus in 1894.
Then beginning with the fiscal
year 1884, due to economy legisla-
ton and drastic cuts in appropria-
tions. the District again started ac-
cumulating an unappropriated sur
plus. amounting in that year to ST.
646 ,495. and at the close of the fiscal
year 1885 it had increased to $780,
$40. For the fiscal year 1886 the
appropriations exceeded the current
revenues, requiring the use of part
of this surplus and reducing the
amount of the surplus at the close
of 1896 to $2,845, ,784.
"The appropriations for the fiscal
year 1887 also exceeded not only
the current revenues for that year
but the remaining unappropriated
surplus at the close of 1896 as well.
The fiscal year 1887 closed with
revenue deficit of S1656,831. The
deficit at the end of the fiscal year
1888 amounted to s1,1l4,O92, and at
this time it appears that the fiscal
year 1889 may close with an esti-
mated revenue surplus of $132 900.
I'm the fiscal year 1892 the Fed
eral payment toward meeting the
expenses of the District, under ap-
preparations made by Congress, was
S9,5OO,0OO. In 1888 this amount was
reduced by Congress to Sits 900.
In the following year, 1884, the Fed
eral Bureau of the Budget. which
before that time had always made
it a policy to follow the last action
of Congress by including the last
legislatively approved Federal pay
ment in the annual estimates of
the District, assumed the respon-
sibility of ignoring its own policy
and recommended to Congress for
that year a Federal payment of
only $5,7OO,OO0. This amount con-
tinued as the rate of the Federal
payment in the fiscal years 1885 and
1886. Beginning with the fiscal
year 1887. Congress on its own
initiative further reduced the Fed
eral payment to $5,O0O,00O which is
the amount at the present time.
Plight Laid to Congress.
IT am mentioning this matter of
the Federal payment because there
is pronounced feeling among the
residents of the District that the
Districts financial plight in recent
years has been due in major part
to the falling off in the Federal
payment They feel the amount of
the present payment of $5,000000
does not truly represent the fair
measure of the obligation of the
Nation to the Capital City, in view
of the peculiar conditions which
exist here because it is the seat of
the National Government.
I'm any proposals which you may
recommend for changes in the ex-
isting tax structure of the District,
serious consideration should be CIV
en- to this question of the Federal
payment. This is especially true If
it is hoped to obtain local support
for your tax program. 1t is ad-
mitted that the responsibility rests
upon residents of this community
to pay fair and just taxes. On the
other hand, it is contended that an
equal responsibility rests upon Con-
gress to provide annually such
funds from the Federal Treasury
as will discharge the Nations fair
obligation to the cost of government