Evening star., 1941-09-04
Commissioners
Reverse Budget
Secrecy Stand
District Heads Decide
To Make Estimates
For 1e43 Public

Completely reversing stand they
had taken yesterday in upsetting
a practice of at least a decade, the
Commissioners today announced the
original departmental estimates for
the next fiscal year would be made
public.
The city heads capitulated IN re-
sponse to rising public protests
against their secrecy order at an
extraordinary session attended by
the three Commissioners, Corpora
ton Counsel Richmond B. Keech
and District Budget Director Wall
ter l.. Fowler.
To Be Released Tomorrow.
The first batch of the department
heads estimates are to be made
public tomorrow afternoon, in keep
ing with plan prepared earlier by
the District budget directors ONCE
and press representatives. at the
District Building, before yesterdays
upset.
Commissioner Guy Mason. who
had taken the lead in arguing to
ban publicity on the estimates, told
reporters he had no further state
ment to make He was smiling and
in good humor and apparently the
issue was at an end
Action by the Commissioners this
morning had been indicated earlier
by side remarks made by all three,
but the decision was not announced
until after Commissioner Mason. a
lawyer. had gone over laws on the
subject of the privacy or public
character of municipal estimates,
and apparently was satisfied It was
perfectly legal for the departmental
estimates to be announced publicly.
One of the main arguments
against the Commissioners stand
was that they had officially sched-
uled public hearings on the l943
estimates at the District Building
September Is and Is and that
unless the original estimates Of the
department executives we're made
public beforehand, representatives of
the public would be at a loss to
know what was planned and there
fore wouldn know what position TO
take.
Apparently, the Commissioners
we're convinced from the public
protests that the public was entitled
to know before the hearing what
the department executives had pro-
posed.
The decision today was announced
by Budget Officer Fowler, who said
the estimates would be released as
they we're filed with him by the
departments, uncensored and un-
changed.
McCarran Adds Protest
Widespread opposition arose yes
terday Immediately after Mr.. Mason
announced that the Commissioners
policy of more than 10 years stand
ing was to be abandoned
Chairman McCarran of the Senate
District Committee. joined In the
public protest with the declaration:
Especially in a commonwealth
where the people are denied use of
the ballot with which to haul up
short their public officials. response
bility rests heavily upon such
officials to keep the public fully in
formed at every step in the transac-
ton Of public business.
What purpose will be served by
public hearings on the budget if
those who appear are to be kept III
ignorance of what their servants
have proposed Lacking such infor-
nation. how can the spokesmen cf
the public aid the Commissioners By
advice or protest, as the case
may be?
I'm other Jurisdictions the people
at election time can act approprl-
ately if their officers impose upon
them burdens too heavy to be
borne"
Wilbur Finch, president OF the
District Suffrage Association and
member of the Executive Committee
of the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations. made a particular point Of
Commissioner Masons statement
that Department executives are the
ones who are charged with spending
the money in carrying out municipal
services. All the public has to Go Is
to pay the bill"
Mr. Finch said
Mr. Mason, by this statement, has
shown himself to be perfect reason
why people of the District should be
given control Of their local govern
ment. 1t is just another evidence
of the fact that we have a total
itarian government in the District.
Any officer who takes public be
damned attitude is not fit to hold
public Office"
H. C. Phillips. a delegate to the
Federation of Citizens Associations
from the District Congress of Par
ents and Teachers, said:
This is most high handed pro-
ceeding. The public has a moral
right, if not a legal one, to know
what is going on in the District
government. Every citizen OF
Washington should know what is
contained in the budget estimates
1See RYTncFT PAGE A-I71