Evening star., 1939-09-08
Department
Heads Face
Budget Quiz
$4,000, 900 D. c. Cut
In Prospect; Civic
Spokesman Heard
BY DON S. WARREN.

government will be called before the
Commissioners beginning next Mon
day to justify their 1941 estimates,
and most of them face orders to
curtail their plans, for the city heads
have promised to avoid any require
ment for a further tax boost next
year.
If the Commissioners succeed in
carrying out their repeated declara-
tons that the District next year
must live within anticipated rev.
enues, they must slice nearly s13.-
100000 from the original estimates
of the departments, now totaling
almost $63,000,000, not counting
trust funds.
The Commissioners, following the
conclusion of yesterdays all-day
public hearing on the budget re-
quests, which was marked by an
unusual unanimity of opinion
against a budget entailing further
tax increases, promised that all
efforts would be made to live within
prospective revenues. On the basis
of tentative revenue estimates by
Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, auditor
and budget officer, this will require
that the budget be cut to some
s50.O0O,o00.
Revenue Estimate Being Figured.
There may be some change in
this total for Maj. Donovan, now
casting up new estimates of ex-
pected revenue availability for next
year, has not finished the task, but
expects to have his new figures
ready for next weeks budget prun-
ing work. His latest figure is a
general fund total of som2 S42.2Qo-
900, which makes allowances for
charges against the District in other
supply bills.
Such a general fund appropria-
ton would be about 81 800 900 above
that made for the current fiscal
year. Earlier, the Commissioners
had indicated they would seek to
hold the general fund budget re-
quests down to some $4,000 900. but
the re-casting of revenue figures
indicates the possibility of an in
crease of nearly 50 900 900 over this
total.
While many of the 30-odd wit
nesses agreed the budget should be
held down to prospective revenues,
many spokesmen for community
groups championed a multitude Of
projects for improvements in their
areas.
/ William NICK. Clayton, veteran
civic leader, who was speaking for
| the Brightwood Citizens Associa-
ton, capped the days economy de-
bate with a declaration that should
| the Commissioners decide on
/ budget calling for more taxes. his
group would have to make a vigor-
GUS fight against them.
The District has gone ahead
faster in the past three years in
new developments. either now under
way or planned, than it was able to
do in the preceding IS years. he
| declared I'VE are going ahead by
leaps and bounds. We now have a
debt, under the $4,000 900 P. w. A.
program, and this is very proper,
but let us not forget that we now
are engaged in new developments
that just a few years ago were mere
dreams. Let us keep this in mind
and not pay too much attention to
the demands that everything must
be new, everything streamlined.'
Katz Asks Larger Budget.
A contrary note ran through
| statement filed with the Commis-
sioners just after the hearing closed
| by Sidney R. Katz. secretary-treas-
urer of the Maryland and District
Industrial Union Council of the c.
l. O., who contended that conditions
in the District warrant budget
much larger" than the present one.
Taking a slap at spokesmen for
groups which had called for econ
omy. Mr. Katz. suggesting an in
crease in the relief funds and a de-
ficiency request in January, wrote:
I'VE feel it important to take excep-
ton to the irresponsible and infu-
man position taken by some people
VINO speak for certain organizations
in demanding that the budget not
20 beyond its present size. Persons
sincerely interested in the welfare
of Washingtonians consider first
community needs and then consider
the size of the budget in terms Of
such needs
During the session yesterday aft
ernoon Mrs Elizabeth Draper
urged a number of Improvements
for the Georgetown area, speaking
both as representative of the
Progressive Citizens Association of
| Georgetown and as agent of the
newly formed Georgetown Com
munity Conference, which includes
the Georgetown Citizens Associa-
ton, the Progressive Citizens As
sociation, the Georgetown Business
mems Association, the Georgetown
Garden Club and the Lions Club.
Modern Paving Asked.
The conference, Mrs. Draper said,
had agreed to sponsor funds for q
health center IN or near George
town, construction of comfort
station for the area, modern paw
ing for Georgetown sidewalks on
business streets and relaying of
old brick sidewalks in residential
streets, funds for completion of i'm
provements to the grounds of the
Georgetown Branch Library, devel-
opment of major recreational CEN
| ter for the section and improve
ment of the Fairgrounds at Volta
place and at the Montrose Park
grounds.
Ernest F. Henry, speaking for the
Petworth Citizens Association,
urged Development of recreational
facilities on the old tuberculosis
Hospital tract at Thirteenth and
Upshur streets NV, funds for be-
ginning construction of a new Will
son Teachers College on the same
tract, funds for site for a new
Abbott Vocational School in North
east Washington, funds for fire
engine house in the vicinity of
North Capitol and Decatur streets
NE. and improvements for the