Evening star., 1949-05-19
Our Expensive LocoI Government

remaining to be ironed out between House
and Senate-will increase our local tax
burden for general government by about
27 per cent.
That is big increase for any one year.
Because of the sales tax which will account
for the greater part of the increase, it will
be spread among more people than any
previous tax ever voted for Washington.
But why are we required to assume this
/ 27 per cent increase in what we pay in
local taxes? One reason is that our local
government must minister to the needs OF
235, 600 more people than ten years ago.
The 1910 population was 663000. The 1948
estimate was 898, ,0O00-a population in
crease exceeding IS per cent. 1t is axio-
matte that costs of government rise with
population.
But while the population was increasing
by 35 per cent, the mere cost of operating
the local government (not including the
highway or water funds, or the cost of
new construction has more than doubled
In 1899 it was running around s3500e,000.
In the year beginning in July it will cost
about $80,000000.
What are some of the other things
besides providing services for more people
that have shot up these costs? They are
about the same things that have increased
production costs in every private business
salaries and additional personnel. And
these items of course, are reflected in the
cost of everything the District government
buys.
A simple example of higher costs Is
found at ST. Elizabeths Hospital, which Is
paid by the District on per capita basis
for the patients sent there. In 1941 the
city was paying this hospital $2,774,534 for
the care of 1912 patients. This next fiscal
year the city will be paying $7,s46,277 for
5,2O5 patients. The cost per patient has
increased from $1S0 to Sab per day.
While the hospital population of District
patients has increased "a per cent, the
cost has increased nearly 1870 per cent.
Between 1898 and 1948 the number OF
classified employees, not including those
paid by the day or policemen and firemen,
increased by .3,75s, or "a per cent. But the
payroll for these employees increased in
the same interval by $20000,O00, or SO
per cent.
Since 1941 there have been about dozen
acts of Congress that increased the pay
or shortened the working hours of active
and retired employees. Some of the effects
are that an employe receiving $4,000 in
1887 was receiving $6,623 in 1913; an en-
ploye receiving $4,000 in 1887 was receiving
$4O24 in 1948; policeman or fireman who
was receiving $4,000 in 1887 was getting
$3,398 in. 1948; an elementary school
teacher who was receiving $4,000 in 1887
was getting $3.50 in 1948 and school
Librarians receiving 1,400 in 1887 were
getting $3.50 in 1948. The temporary
cost-of-living increases voted to Federal
employees last spring, and which now will be
paid to municipal employees with imposi-
ton of higher taxes, will cost the District
for two years about $4,000 000-nearly
third of the total receipts from real estate
taxes in one year.
Here in Washington, where we have been
kept on a pay-as-you-go system, with no
bonded debt, it is not difficult to under
stand why these higher salaries require
higher taxes The same thing is true
everywhere. But in Federal financing, the
cost of some of these things is temporarily
disguised by borrowing There are ad-
vantages in both systems. One of our
disadvantages, here in Washington, is that
costs of operation have increased so tre-
mendously that there is not much left
over out of current revenues to finance
capital improvements, such as schools.
Thus our building program in Washington
has fallen behind.
For this reason, If for no other, the
Federal Government has real obligation
to increase its payment, which has dropped
from 40 per cent in 1922 to about II
per cent this year. Here in Washington
we shall be carrying one of the highest
per capita tax burdens, regardless of popu-
lation, in the United States when new
taxes are included. The next increase in
city revenues should come from sub
stantial increase in the lump sum. With
out it, and despite the greatly increased
local taxes, We shall not be able to make
the improvements that greatly increased
taxes ought to reflect.