Evening star., 1949-01-05
District Is Broke,
Leaders Warn
New Legislators
Pleu for Cure Issued
By Speakers at Boord
Of Trade Dinner

New members Of the 81st Congress
were called on last night to come
to grips with the financial plight
Of the District, because the city is
running so far into the red it is al
most purple"
Chief Judge Bolitha j. Laws Of
District Court made this appeal to
a gathering of several hundred at
the welcome to Washington" din
ner in the Shoreham Hotel, spon-
sored by the Board of Trade.
District Commissioner J. Russell
Young, speaking for the city admin
iStration, declared: I'VE are going
out for the sales tax because this
town Is broke"
The city head praised efforts Of
District leaders in Congress to find
sources Of revenue, but he insisted
"the only thing that will solve our
financial problem is the sales tax"
Budget Being Prepared.
This discussion of the city's plight
came as the annual budget for the
fiscal year, beginning next July /.
was being prepared for submission
to Congress, probably early next
week.
The new members of Congress and
reelected members of the House and
Senate District Committees were
welcomed warmly to the gala affair
by Leon Chatelain, jr., president Of
the Board of Trade, and Howard w.
Kacy, chairman of the boards Con-
gressional Relations Committee.
Senator OMahoney, Democrat, of
Wyoming, emphasized that in these
times the cost of running govern
ment is higher not only in the Dis
trict of Columbia, but nationally,
and in the States and cities.
Senator O'Mahoney. who is in line
to be chairman of the Senate Ap-
preparations Subcommittee handling
the Districts budget, did not dwell
specifically on his participation in
city affairs.
But he pointed out that the city
budget with which we struggle"
! has increased from s35 100000 many
years ago to about $100,000,00O now.
Laws Points to Difficulties.
In his principal welcoming ad-
dress. Judge Laws outlined the
difficulties of this municipality STEM
ming from shortage of funds. and
the exclusive jurisdiction of Con-
gress over city affairs
! Judge Laws said Congress in past
years proved its willingness to help
the District meet acute needs, but
sometimes took no action until
members were brought face to face
with conditions or until disaster"
overlook the District. The difficulty.
he said, is ito get Congress in
/ formed"
J 4 Among instances he cited, ,were:,
An increase in sex perversion
cases "of shocking proportions be-
fore an adequate control law was
enacted.
A wave of homicides and serious
shootings" before Congress tight
ened District laws concerning carry.
ing of weapons.
Jail Break Recalled.
A major break at the District
Jail three years ago. disclosing de-
fective conditions that later were
corrected.
| Crowded and otherwise unsatis-
factory conditions in District Court
buildings. A new courthouse project
now is under way, largely because
influential members of Congress
made personal inspection of the
present facilities.
Referring to still existing needs,
Judge Laws mentioned the recent
experience of a needy person who
had to wait three or four weeks to
get an interview with social
worker in the understaffed District
welfare department. He added that
shortages of doctors and the volume
Of staff work might have accounted
for the Glenn Dale Sanitarium case
in which an operation was per-
F.! formed on the wrong lung Of
patient.
Slogan Suggested.
The speaker praised District lead
ers in Congress for having done
magnificent job" in legislating for
the city, but he asserted its financial
problems still remain unsolved."
Presenting a slogan for incoming
members of Congress, the jurist
asked them to Know your city
know its needs"
The judge insisted he was taking
no position on proposed sales tax,
which already is being strongly
recommended by House District
leaders He outlined the two
pronged problem as being, on the
one hand, what payment the Federal
Government should make toward
city cost and, on the other, How
shall the District be permitted to
raise the taxes it needs?"
Sightseeing Recommended.
Pointing to progress made toward
beautifying the city since he was a
boy here, the speaker urged his
hearers TO 60 sightseeing, not only
to view the places of beauty and
interest" but to see themselves
facts which demonstrate appeal
ing need for action"
He referred to ''overcrowded public
schools. underequipped public hos
pitals and outmoded and inadequate
,rolfara institutions "