Evening star., 1941-09-03
Original Budget
Figures for D. {.
To Be Secret
Pressure Compoiens'
Stort Otherwise,
Mason Declares
BY DON S. WARREN.

SCdnQlnR, LQe OOIIlITllSSlOTcIS re-
vealed today they would not release
for publication this year the original
budget estimates of municipal de-
partment executives before the an
nual public hearing or before the
Commissioners have determined
what their proposals will be.
Commissioner John Russell Young,
when asked why the new policy was
adopted, shook his head and merely
said, L don't know" refusing
further comment. The Commission
ers made the decision at recent
board meeting.
Commissioner Guy Mason declared
the decision to keep the depart
mental estimates secret was based
on very definite reasons. He said:
When I covered the District
Building as a reporter about 80
years ago. these estimates were
never made public. The department
executives put in lot of iy-by-
night stuff which doesn't mean a
thing. I don't want their appro-
priation requests made public, cer-
tainly not before the Commissioners
have decided what their budget pro-
posals will be"
Public May Talk Blind"
The Commissioners already have
scheduled public hearings on the
l943 fiscal year estimates, for Sep
tember Is and l6. When reporters
asked Mr.. Mason how the public
and the taxpayers would know what
TO talk about at the hearings If the
original estimates were not released,
Mr.. Mason said:
Il don't care if the public has to
talk blnd-if they don't know what
the needs of the city are. then they
will have to talk blind AS a matter
OF fact, the public knows as much as
l do as to the city's needs: Why
can't they talk intelligently without
getting the department executives
estimates?
The department executives are
the ones who are charged with
spending the money in carrying out
the municipal services. All the
public has TO do is to pay the bill.
If the public and the press want
to raise hell about this decision,
it is o. K. with me-let them raise
hell. I don't mind If people quarrel
with my judgment. I just don't
think this information should be
given out, because the result is that
pressure campaigns are started for
or against certain projects or move
ments, and this starts before the
Commissioners can decide wha.
should be done"
Kutz May Ask Reconsideration.
Brig. Gen. Charles w. Kutz, the
Engineer Commissioner, when asked
by reporters for comment, said he
agreed with Mr.. Mason that ths
original estimates should not be
made public. but later announced
that he would bring up the question
Tor reconsideration at the next
meeting of the Board of Commits
sioners. He said he was not sure
when this meeting would be held.
He suggested that the public should
be at no loss in testifying at the
September IS and Is hearings, since
they ought to know what they
want" but later agreed, generally,
that representatives of organized
groups probably would be able to
present better arguments If they
were told the things the depart
ments had recommended and the
justiflcations given by the depart
ment officials.
Commissioner Mason said the new
plan would mean that the Com
mlssloners would hear the argu-
ments, in private session, of the de-
partment executives, and that the
Commissioners then would decide
what their own proposals would be,
with none Of this information given
to the public. When asked if he
meant that the departmental esti-
mates would never be made public,
even as revised by the Commission
ers, he said:
Yes, the original estimates would
not be released at all"
Were Kept Secret Before.
Years ago, departmental estimates
and, In fact, the Commissioners
own budgetary proposals. were not
MADE public, and the first positive
information the public had was
when the President placed the Dis
trict budget before Congress. This
proved unsatisfactory to Washing
tons residents and taxpayers, and,
about 10 years ago, the practice was
developed of giving the public at
least some information as to what
was proposed by the department
executives or the Commissioners.
For about eight years. the Commits
sioners have made public the original
departmental estimates in detail and,
for the most part, they have also
given at least a general description
Of what the Commissioners them
selves proposed to the Budget
Bureau
Increased Importance has been at
tached to the Commissioners budget
proposals in the last year. since the
Budget Bureau announced a new
policy under which 1t said it would
not maintain control over the details
Of the Commissioners estimates,
leaving these for decision by the
Commissioners and Congress. but
would restrict its authority to the
total of the budget, revenue esti-
mates and to the Federal interests"
Citizens Head Protests.
A protest over the new policy was
yoiced shortly after noon by Harry
N Stull, president of the Federation
of Citizens Associations, who said
the Executive Board of the group
would consider the issue. He said:
I'VE had planned to have a meet
(see ESTIMATES, page Aid