Evening star., 1942-01-08
District Estimates

mitted to Congress yesterday is far
from the well-rounded statement
that ordinarily should reflect the
anticipated fiscal needs of a large
municipality like Washington. But
these are not ordinary times and
budgets usual undoubtedly are
paSSe for the duration of the war.
In cutting the estimates so heavily
in so many places the budget franz
ers evidently had in mind two para
mount detectives: First, that Dis
trict taxes should not be increased
in this period of rapidly multiplying
Federal taxes, and, second, that pref
erence should be given activities and
projects related directly or indirectly
to Washington's emergency needs, as
distinguished from normal require
mentS.
Prominent on the list of items IA
vored with increased appropriations
are projects designed to satisfy
emergency demands for amplif1ca-
tion of such vital municipal services
as water supply, sewerage, police and
fire protection, traffic control and
highway improvement. Most OF the
additional services are scheduled to
go to sections of the city which have
felt most keenly the effects OF
defense connected expansion. For
example, Anacostia, sharing in
nearby military and naval growth,
is to have greatly augmented water
supply, enlarged sewerage facilities
and a reorganized police setup, the
latter to be achieved by splitting the
Eleventh Precinct and erecting new
police station in Benning, now pa
trolled by policemen from Anacostia.
A welcome addition of 100 police
men to the metropolitan force was
approved.
Severely hit by the budget-cutting
operations was the school system,
only one new school, junior high
building for colored pupils in North
east Washington, being provided for.
Funds were approved, however, for
completion of five schools already
started, as we'll as for completion
of the important Northwest Health
Center and continuance of work on
the new public library at Pennsyl-
vania avenue and Sixth street. Prog
ress on these buildings will hinge,
of course, on priorities granted for
their construction.
A curious development in con-
nection with the new budget is the
finding of the Budget Bureau that
the District will have a $3,333,516
surplus" in the next fiscal year,
which, the bureau suggests, could be
used for civilian defense purposes.
Actually, however, no real surplus
in revenues will exist. About one
third of the so-called excess consists
of trust funds not available for
spending and $1,382,037 represents
highway funds which can be used
only for highway and traffic pur-
poses and then only to the extent
that priorities permit. The remain
ing $820,595 is in the general fund
and, technically, could be used for
civilian defense-but, as matter Of
fact, all of this money has been ear
marked for projects which are being
delayed because of priority difficult
ties.
To divert these reserve funds to
other purposes is not sound practice
by any standard of accounting and
Congress should not force the Com
missioners to resort to such a move.
And as for the highway fund, which
is derived from gasoline taxes and
registration fees, it should be re-
membered that although a one cent
increase in the gasoline tax has been
authorized, the highway fund is al
most certain to suffer acute shrink
age as result of the automobile and
tire -ationing program. In short,
legitimate emergency defense needs
OF ,s2o Capital should be met not
from SO-caileG surplus" funds re-
served for other purposes. but from
Federal emergency grants authorized
by Congress for just such defense
measures.