Evening star., 1946-10-18
Budget Slash
TO 90 Millions
Seen for D. {.

Commissioners Ready
To Act After Hearing
Estimates Attacked
The Commissioners today are
ready to slash the $136, ,00o,0 900
budget requests of their department
heads for the year beginning next
July, after spending all day yester-
day hearing what citizen groups
think of the record-smashing esti-
mates.
With the Board of Trade and the
Washington Taxpayers Association
calling for maximum of $75 ,000, 900
in general fund items and the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations urg-
ing that only maintenance budget
be sent to Congress in January, Dis
trict fiscal observers predicted an
overall cut to figure between
$50, 0,000,000 and $90,000,000.
1t also was considered likely that
the Commissioners, backed by the
Board Of Trade and the citizens
federation, would concentrate the
new budget on operating expenses,
leaving new construction to be con-
sidered separately.
50 Per Cent From u. s. Urged.
The department head requests call
for $51 ,000, 900 in new building prof.
ects chargeable to the general, the
and the water funds.
Major cuts are expected to be made
in these items.
Meanwhile, witnesses from the
Of Oldest Inhabitants,
the Columbia Heights Citizens As
sociation and the Brightwood Citi-
zens Association urged that the
Federal Government resume pay
ment of so per cent of District ex-
penses as it did between 1878 and
1922.
More than one witness opposed
raising real estate taxes here in the
event that increased taxes are nee
essary to meet an expected deficit
of $7,000,000, if the city maintains,
in 1948, the services it is now per-
forming.
Specific Items Sought.
Some specific items sought by
more than one organization include:
/. Additional inspectors for the
industrial safety division of the
Minimum Wage and Industrial
Safety Board.
2. Recreation facilities in the
Cleveland Park area through pur-
chase of the Twin Oaks estate.
3. Approval of the 20 per cent in
crease the Board of Public Welfare
wants to make in its relief grants
to help combat the rising price
levels.
4. New school construction in
nearly every section of the city.
either to replace an old building or
relieve crowded conditions. Also
additional teachers, especially in the
colored divisions, and for handi-
capped children.
In connection with the Cleveland
Park recreation project, Mrs. Joseph
Miller of the John Eaton Parent
Teacher Association, told the Com
missioners the crying need was room
for the children and adults to play
baseball. She added that she her
self was a ''hot first baseman."
Government Lottery Suggested.
Mrs. F. E. WEIGH, who told the
Commissioners she was not a wom-
an to take mo" for an answer.
urged additional teachers for the
handicapped school children. She
said she is the mother of handi-
capped child and knows the needs
from personal experience.
A Government lottery as a means
of raising funds was suggested by
Miss Eta Taggart, who filed state
ments for the Washingtonians and
the Society of Natives urging
economy.
Declaring that 1--WE may be skat-
ing on thin ice" in some funda-
mental considerations of sanitation,
DR.. H. R. Ramsey of the Washing
ton Metropolitan Health Council
urged the Commissioners to give
careful attention to the increase in
inspectors asked by the Health De-
partment.
He also urged adequate funds
for Gallinger Hospital which will
never be free of criticisms" until it
has an adequate budget, something
it has never had"
There is no other reason, DR..
Ramsey said. why Gallinger should
not be one of the outstanding mu-
nicipal hospitals in the country.
He also called for early reopen
ing of all tuberculosis beds now
closed for Jack of personnel as
lone of the prime public health
needs of the community"
Delinquency Curb Proposed.
Jerome B. Mckee, of the Ameri-
can Legion, urged that the public
schools be kept open Friday and
Saturday nights for recreation pur-
poses to cut down juvenile DELHI
quency.
That's the best suggestion I've
heard today" commented Commits
sioner Guy Mason.
Other witnesses testifying at the
afternoon session included Charles
H. Bates and Monte Sanger, AS
sociation of Oldest Inhabitants;
Mrs. Oscar F. Kuldell, Progressive
Citizens Association; Soterios
Nicholson, Mid-City Citizens As
sociation; Edward c. Hartung,
Brightwood Citizens Association:
Mrs. w. w. Coblentz, Cleveland
Park Community Committee; Miss
Esther Peterson, Amalgamated
Clothing Workers of America; Mrs.
Josephine s. Starr, Council of So
cial Agencies; Mrs. Henry Gichner,
Council of Social Agencies; Mrs. A.
H. Fawcett, Council of Social Agen-
cies; A. Kearns-Preston, Stanton
School Parent-Teacher Association;
Mrs. M. L. Logan, Midway Civic As
ISOLATION; Frank Howard, WASH
ington Building Trades Council;
Mrs. Arliss A. Davis, Citizens As
sociation of River Terrace; George