Evening star., 1948-04-07
Challenge toCui
District Budget
Issued by Horan
Invites Suggestions
On Slash; S432, 500
Additional Asked
By Don S. Worren

A challenge to economy advo-
Gates to show specifically where the
record city budget could be cut now
is offered by Chairman Horan o.
the House subcommittee in charge
Of District spending.
His contention that the 1949 out.
lay should be increased rather thar
reduced was supported somewhat
yesterday, when President Truman
forwarded to the Capitol requests OF
the Commissioners for an additional
$432, 500 next year.
The supplemental requests, COW
ering variety of health, welfare
and other needs, would boost the
1949 costs to more than $101 1886 900
Mr.. Horan, an advocate of big
ger and broader sales tax than Is
proposed by the city heads as q
means of balancing next years
budget, made his challenge in let
ter to Chairman Bates of the Fiscal
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee.
Bates Cool to Sales Tax.
Mr.. Bates, who looks on sales
levy as a last resort" Is in charge
of plans for a new District tax pro-
gram. He has called for reduc-
ton in the pending budget before
new taxes are considered.
Mr.. Koran said his arithmetic In
dicates no substantial savings can
be made in the budget without re-
ducing necessary items, unless Con-
press sees fit to reverse itself and
halt construction programs 1t al
ready has authorized. This would
mean cutback on new school con-
struction, he indicated.
"If I am wrong I will be glad to
be shown" Mr.. Horan wrote Mr..
Bates. Therefore, any specific
suggestions you may care to make
for reductions in the budget will
be given the most careful consid-
Grafton. ."
I'm order to cut we must have
specific items and show justification
for doing so. I wish that you, or
any one, could help me put my
finger on those items. Failing this
I renew my request for your views
on the best means of increasing
revenues"
Courthouse PostpOnement Asked.
At the same time Mr.. Horan re-
leased a letter to Chairman Allen
of the House Rules Committee urg-
ing that construction of the pro-
posed new Federal courthouse
here, for which the District would
incur an obligation of $6.912 500, be
postponed until District finances
are in more fluid state"
To saddle the District" with this
extra cost now, in the face of a
basic $6,O00,000 deficit, which may
be boosted by a Government pay,
raise. Mr.. Koran said,. would make
the tax increase load almost pro-
hibitive."
The House Rules Committee al
ready has refused to open the way
for House action on the courthouse
bill at this time.
A centralized and more efficient
system for issuing District Building
permits is proposed in a supple
mental budget request for $4,000.
Fee Boost Held Acceptable.
The Horan subcommittee was told
the building trades would be willing
to pay higher fees, if they could
avoid present delays and the need
to apply for permits at a half
dozen different points within the
District government.
Other large portions of the sup
Elemental budget requests were to
cover the purchase of streptomycin
for Gallinger Hospital and the Glenn
Dale tuberculosis Sanitorium, for
increased food budgets for health
and welfare agencies, for installa-
tion of water mains as fire pre-
vention measure at the Home For
the Aged and Infirm, the Industrial
Home School for Colored Boys at
Blue Plains; for continuation of
the school penny milk" program
and for completion of the new Re-
ceiyinp Home for Children