Evening star., 1943-03-26
Board Of Trade
Urges Changes
In DC. Budget
; Recommendations
Made by Group to
House Subcommittee

N'uoS Wy SIOuP ~
House Subcommittee
A House Appropriations Subcom-
mittee today had before it three
specific recommendations from the
Washington Board of Trade, as the
committee began to whip into shape
a bill providing funds to operate
the District government for the year
beginning July !.
The three recommendations from
the board, representing 1900 busi-
ness and civic leaders of the Dis
trict, are:
CD Elimination of s76,l9O from
the Public Welfare budget. due to
inability to construct the new Re-
ceiving Home for Children: ~ an
additional $4,000 for the Health De-
partment budget for repairs and
maintenance at Columbia Hospital:
and. 90 that 1853 be added to the
Recreation Department budget so
that the IA newly developed recrea-
ton areas may be properly main
tanned and supervised.
Subcommittee Ends Hearings.
Basis for the measure will be the
1914 budget estimates on which the
subcommittee completed hearings
late yesterday. The budget called
for appropriations totaling $55,OOO.-
600, and indications are the amount
will not be altered materially when
the appropriations bill is reported
to the House. The present House
program calls for consideration of the
District appropriation bill April 13.
In approving an item of S5O3 900
IN the Board of Education budget.
for purchase of land for school sites.
the Board of Trade said I'VE feel this
Is a good economy move and will re-
suit in real saving to the taxpav-
ers. To wait until the city is de-
| Veloped to purchase a school site
generally means an added cost in
the price of the land"
Two general comments dealing
with the District government work
week salary adjustments and man
power, also were advanced by the
Board OF Trade, which said
AT present, District employees are
on a 44-hour week, an approximate
l3 per cent increase above the
former 39-hour week. We wish to
point out the possibility that this
new schedule, compensated for bv
blanket increases or overtime pay
ments, might well offset requests
| for increased personnel where the
work of a given department is in
creasing, and thereby permit some
reduction in the actual expenditures
over appropriated funds.
Re-eXamine Personnel.
We recommend, therefore. that
the Commissioners require the head
OF each department in the District
government to re-eXamine his per-
sonnet requirements in the light of
these new regulations and time
schedule, and that such heads of
departments be responsible for the
adjustment of their budget require
ments according to such regula-
tionS
Secondly, where vacancies occur
Que either to informs ton gained
from the above re-eXamination or To
the Inability to fill authorized posi-
tlons, we recommend that any saw
lrgs effected be retained in the sur
plus funds of the District of Co.
lumbla. We recommend further
that this same general policy should
apply where and if there is a sur
plus over appropria tions in other
items.
These two general comments as
sumo great Importance at this time
due to the fact that generous pay
increases have already been allowed
| and there are others in prospect in
the immediate future. We believe
that the officials of the District gov
eminent should continue their close
regard for, first, the additional ex-
penses caused by these salary in
creases, and, second, for the heavy
manpoWer demands being MADE
throughout the country by both
| Government and industry"
Compliment Commissioners.
The Board of Trade complimented
| the Commissioners, saying I'VE be-
lieve they have performed an ex-
tremely creditable job in preparing
the 1914 estimates and we are happy
to concur in their opinions. Their
recommendations have conformed to
the position We have adopted each
year; that is, that a budget is being
recommended on the basis that ex-
penditures contemplated have a di-
rect relationship to the availability
of revenue to be credited for District
operations.
In urging an increase in Recrea-
ton Department funds. the Board of
Trade emphasized that the District
has 81 .254 ,234 invested in IA recrea-
ton areas, totaling 100 acres, and
1854 900 has been put into their de-