Evening star., 1942-02-16
Obsolete Budget

In proposing a congressional re-
appraisal of WaShington's budgetary
problems in the light of rapidly
changing war conditions, Repre-
sentative Stefan, ranking minority
member Of the House Subcommittee
on District Appropriate has evi-
denced a realistic appreciation Of
the dilemma in which the District
finds itself by reason of its sudden
transformation into what Mr. Stefan
aptly describes as the "G H. @. of the
Allies" Washington before Pearl
Harbor was suffering from the
stresses and strains of defense ex-
panSion-an expansion to which ad-
ministrative officials and legislators
paid too little heed With the out
break of war, the city almost over
night became, in fact as we'll as in
theory, the international center Of
Allied activity-the Capital not only
of America but of the United Nations.
This has brought with it unprece-
dented municipal burdens for which
the city was totally unprepared and
which it cannot possibly bear with
out Federal aid.
When the pending SIS 900 900
District budget for the next fiscal
year was prepared last August, no
person could foresee that before the
estimates were acted on by Congress
America was to be plunged into the
greatest war of all history and that
Washington was to have Superim-
posed upon it tens of thousands of
new inhabitants, brought here for
war work. The vast increase in pop
ulation means greatly increased de-
mands not only for housing but for
essential municipal services of every
description. Belatedly the admin
istration and Congress have moved
to provide $5O,0O0,OOO for war hous-
ing and related public works in the
District and vicinity, some leftover"
Lanham funds have been allotted for
emergency water supply, sewerage
and other projects, and additional
funds have been promised to help
finance several defense
highway improvements. But these
measures of relief are far from ade-
quate Much more will have to be
done if chaos is to be averted in this
overburdened city.
Here is a wartime responsibility
which the Federal Government can
not afford to neglect. Washington is
struggling desperately to cope with
the extraordinary conditions which
war has dumped into its lap, but
obviously no municipality could be
expected to solve these abnormal
problems without prompt and sub
stantial help. AS Mr.. Stefan says, the
| pending budget already is obsolete.
Perhaps some items which seemed
desirable last August are less essen
tial now than other things which
have grown in Importance with the
onslaught of war. For example, traf-
fic control, police andsfire protection,
disease prevention and similar mu-
nicipal services must be amplified far
beyond the expectations of a few
months ago. Huge additional guam
titles of free water must be supplied
to the growing Federal establish
ments, yet the pending budget con-
| templates no increase in the lump
sum Federal contribution to local
expenses. Moreover, the District in
come tax law will reach few if any of
the newcomers to Washington, who
meanwhile will be receiving the bene-
fits of the city's services. But Wash
ington's taxpayers are carrying a
heavy enough burden as it is, with
out requiring them to pay more local
taxes in this era of rising Federal
taxes.
It is with this complex picture in
mind that Mr.. Stefan has recon-
mended a joint study of District
budget and fiscal problems by the
House Subcommittee on District
Appropriation and the Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee. A thoroughgoing, i'm
partial inquiry of this kind would
reveal the dangers and the inequities
of the present haphazard and fiScally
unsound system of measuring the
Federal obligation toward the de-
velopment and maintenance of the
| National Capital.