Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-19
Reaction Of Citizens
Studied After Hearinq
To Fix D. {. Budget

~ IN ~ ~ HONSVi
The Commissioners and city
budget officers today were review
ing citizen reaction, preparatory
to marking up the District budget
for the 1851 fiscal year for sub
mission to the Budget Bureau.
More than so organizations were
represented at yesterdays public
hearing on budget estimates to-
falling $138.984 400. submitted by
District department heads for the
year beginning next July /.
The citizens were informed by
Commissioner John Russell Young
that, aside from the self-support-
ing highway and water funds,
total revenue for general fund
items is expected to amount to
about $l04,00O,000 for fiscal 1851,
while department heads recon-
mendations total $122,911,62l.
Among the organizations heard
yesterday afternoon was the
United Community Services of
Washington, which presented a
recommendation that additional
funds be included in the budget of
the Board Of Public Welfare to
permit:
/. Welfare grants made on the
basis of current living costs. rather
than those Of 1916.
Dietary Allowances.
2. Allowance for special dietary
needs for persons who are i'll.
8. Easing of the requirement
that forces mothers to go to work,
provided that some arrangement
for the care Of the children can
be made.
But the Federation Of Business
mems Associations. through Je-
rome B. Mckee. first vice president,
expressed concern over the size of
the welfare budget request. Mr..
Mckee pointed out new transients
arrive in the city daily. many of
whom have no visible means Of
support.
He went on to say that I'VE
believe in help to our own citizens,
but when those that seek some
thing for nothing keep pouring in,
then 1t is time that a three or
five-year resident requirement be
adopted before our Welfare De-
partment steps in with help"
The federation recommended
abolition of the District income
tax and the unincorporated BUSH
ness tax and a reduction of the
real estate tax rate to 50 per 500
value. 1t asked that the proposed
budget be kept to an amount not
exceeding $l15,000. 900. unless Fed
eral loans can be obtained for
capital outlay above $12,500, 900 in
the general budget.
New Schools Asked.
The Commissioners heard sew
eral talks advocating new school
buildings. Fairgrounds and recrea-
ton facilities.
One was by Mrs. Isabel c.
Moore, who made a plea for more
athletic and recreational facilities
and, particularly for purchase of
one or two tracts of land adjacent
to Ward circle at Massachusetts
and Nebraska vaenues NV. for
development as an athletic field.
She also said roads to the
beaches near Washington should
be improved and that there are
many acres along the Potomac
River that should be developed
into recreational areas. including
swimming. if the Potomac River
were cleaned up"
Capt. Joseph F. Jelley, U. S. NJ.
appeared in behalf Of a recreation
area for Cleveland Park, where
citizens are seeking land from the
Twin Oaks estate for a playground,
which would serve more than
$500 children.
,, Acting as spokesman for sew
eral other neighborhood groups as
well as the Connecticut Avenue
Citizens Association and the John
Eaton School PTA, he pointed
out that the children's only play
grounds, except for a small space
on Macomb street, are the streets.
The Twin Oaks acreage is the
last available open land in the
thickly built area, he declared.
The proposed project has been
a planned part of Washington's
recreation system for 20 years, he
asserted, and today the need is
greater than ever"
Declaring the school need des-
perate. Mrs. Franklin G.. Sartwell
of the Metropolitan View Citizens
Association said her group con-
siders "the only sensible plan to
be the one in which the Federal
Government would advance a
long-term interest-free sum for
major school construction and re-
pairs, in lieu of the present sys-
tenn whereby. we seek to operate
this program on a pay-as-you-go
basis"
She asked an increased Federal
payment and no further increases
in taxes.