Evening star., 1945-08-11
Few Budget Changes
Seen by D. {. Officials
y
Il Peace Comes Now
BY BAINBRIDGE CRIST.


District budget officials predicted
today that If peace comes, the esti-
mates of municipal department
heads for the fiscal year 1877
which are supposed to be filed by
today-would be almost unaffected.
Assistant Engineer Commissioner
Joseph D. Arthur, jr., said it would
be impossible to estimate what total
postwar construction costs would be
for the District. Plans are either
drawn or in the process of being
drawn for projects totaling $685.
100000.
The $39, 900, however, it was
pointed out, does not include rec
reational developments, the chill
dren's center contemplated at Lau-
rel, Md, by the Board of Public
Welfare, and a number of war and
sewer projects that may become
necessary.
Acting Budget Officer William G.
Wilding said he had not yet studied
all of the budget estimates, but he
said he believed they were already
above what the District would be
able to spend. He also pointed out
that undoubtedly many budget esti-
mates were based on the aSsump-
tion that the war would be over by
the fiscal year l947, which starts
July l, 1916.
Planned With View TO Jobs.
Tfha rrninPfS nlonnnH Mr.
Wilding said, with view to provid-
ing employment and constructing
needed public works. He pointed
out that request for a project does
not mean it will be approved by the
Commissioners and Congress.
Some of them proposed projects
are not going to be done" predicted
Mr.. Wilding Many of them are
beautiful but are not going to be
carried to fruition."
AS for the $4,000, 900 that has
been set aside for construction as
a result of provisions of the l945
and 1916 appropriations measures.
Mr.. Wilding said this amount could
be allocated when materials become
available. The fund was not neces-
sarily a postwar fund, but designed
to permit the District to catch upl
on the backlog of construction work
when conditions permitted.
Mr.. Wilding said If department
heads think budget items should be
included in the 1947 estimates be-
cause of the ending of the war, they
would have an opportunity to JUS
tify them before the Commissioners.
If the war ends, the Commissioners
would undoubtedly take different
view on requests for construction
projects than has been taken during
the war, Mr.. Wilding said.
Higher Taxes Studied.
Concerned over the budget out
look of the District, Budget Ofhcer
Walter l.. Fowler recently persuaded
the Commissioners to set up COM
mittee of District officials, headed
by Corporation Counsel Richmond
B. Keech, to survey the city's tax
structure with a view to raising
$4,000, 900 additional revenue.
Mr.. Wilding estimated that recent
pay increase bills-for school teach
ers, firemen. policemen and CLASH
fled workers-would boost annual
salary costs by $5,500,000 a year.
Although overtime provisions pre-
viously in effect cost $4,000,000 |
year, a saving of 81 500, 900 had been
effected because of vacancies. Budg-
ct officials frequently have ex-
pressed the fear that the ending of
the war would result in drop in
revenue because of a decline in
population.
AS for postwar projects, the Com
missioners in January approved the
S17.886000 three-year program
under the Federal Aid Highway Act.
The Federal law provided for giving
the States s500,000,000 year for
three years, with the District and
the States matching on a $3.50
basis the amount of Federal aid
allotted.
Projects Planned Here.
This program included replace
ment of Highway Bridge, Dupont
Circle underpass and K street ele-
waited highway from Key Bridge to
Twenty-seventh street NV. No
final action has been taken by the
Commissioners on the report of con-
sulting engineers made last year
SyMNIaIp1uIpfNINIaMuIN nIrluIGGIG
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