Evening star., 1948-04-14
Horan Estimates
RevenueNeedat
70 Million More
Budget Hearing Told
Higher D. c. Payments
To Hospitals Essential

The District needs well over $2O,-
000, 600 in additional revenues to
meet its present needs, according to
a rough summation by Chairman
Koran OF the House Appropriations
Subcommittee for the city.
I'VE now are at a point where
there can no longer be any quibble
over the need for adoption Of q
sales tax" he declared.
Latest additions to rising budget
demands are calls for funds to hos
pitalize tuberculosis patients re-
vealed In the current X-ray survey
and to expand District payments
for charity patients at private hos
pitals.
Hospitals Outline Needs.
These needs were outlined at yes
terdays executive hearings OF the
Horan group, attended by spokesmen
for nearly all Washington public and
private hospitals. The review OF
District health requirements was to
be continued today.
Chairman Koran said his sub
committee is much impressed" with
statements by Daniel w. ODono-
ghue, speaking for Providence Hos
pital, and other witnesses, as to the
need of higher District payments
for patients at private hospitals
unable to pay for their care.
Until expanded sources OF Dis
trict revenues can be found, 1t will
be impossible to include these sums
in the already diversified budget,
Mr.. Koran pointed out, however.
The tuberculosis case-finding sur
vey indicates that about 1000 pa
tients will be found and that the
gross cost of their care might lun
as high as 100000, without con-
sidering any need for additional
hospital construction, Mr.. Horan
said.
Estimate Seen as High.
District health officials said this
estimate is probably too high, since
many of the new cases, discovered
in their early stages, will not re-
ouire disqualification. Mr.. Horan
agreed that some may be- able to
paw for their own care and that
others can be treated in their own
homes instead of in hospitals at
District expense.
Private hospital spokesmen also
asked for an increased District pay
ment rate, fro $3.50 to $40 a day
per patient, saying the present level
does not meet actual hospital costs.
They also urged that the District
accept responsibility for city charity
patients at other hospitals not in
cluded in the present budget.
Mr.. Horan said, even at present
rates, this would add at least $780,
600 to the medical charities budget.
The four hospitals for which the
budget now carries a proposed out
lay of 1855 900 for charity cases are
Children,s. Emergency, Casualty and
the Washington Home for In
c,lfables. = I
= Pay Raise Cost Estimated.
The remainder of the deficit seen
by Mr.. Horan includes $6,000,000
under the Commissioners budget,
about 100000 for a possible city
worker pay raise to follow the pend
ing Federal employe wage BOOST and
added costs for eliminating part
time education Of public school
pupils.
One OF the best features of the
pending Washington home rule leg
islation, Mr.. Horan concluded, is
that the proposed elected city coun-
Gil and the proposed Joint District
Committee in Congress would have
to consider the problems of both
budget and revenue needs. These
problems now are handled separately
by different committees of Congress.