Evening star., 1951-07-01
An Expensive Economy

Senate committee hearings on the District
appropriation bill, released today contain an
estimate by department heads of the effect on
municipal service If the Ferguson amendment
Is applied The Ferguson amendment, as written
by the Senate into certain Federal appropria-
tions, calls for 10 per cent cut in personnel
appropriations below the budget approved
estimates
This is the first time that such a study of
the effect OF the Ferguson amendment before
adoption OF the amendment, has been made in
advance. The Ferguson amendment was applied
on the floor of the Senate, when the Federal
appropriations were being debated The District
appropriation bill has not yet come out of COM
mittee. But when Senator Ferguson indicated
he might move for his amendment when the
District bill reached the floor, District Govern
ment department heads were called on to esti-
mate what would happen If the amendment
carried. Their reports are part of the hearings
and will be available, of course, to the Senators
in considering the District bill
The Senators will find that nearly all of the
department heads (although a few have been
admirably objective) view the possibility of
reduction in force with grave alarm. Such
phrases as seriously handicap" seriously
curtailed," serious delay in the transaction of
public business" less effective service" "a def
mite backward STEP" "an intolerable burden" "a
major loss of revenue" "even more Inadequate
coverage," compel us to reduce certain stand
ards" seriously impair the effectiveness"
seriously cripple the administration" hamper
the proper capture and collections of dogs"
seriously curtan the services" and all of the
other cliches to which department heads resort
in times of grave emergency, are sprinkled
through the reports. This is to be expected
But the Senators will also find that If the
District bill is to be cut the cut must be selective
Otherwise it will be ridiculous to speak of it in
terms of economy in such Offices, for example, as
the assessor, where saving of $S1 900 on per-
sonnel would result in an estimated loss of
$685. 900 in revenue. Scattered through the report
are other instances of loss, rather than GAIN
because of evident impossibility to carry out with
reduced personnel what the law already requires
As for the Health Department and its under
stated hospitals the schools, the Police and Fire
Departments and some of the three and four
man departments or agencies of the local gov
ernment, an arbitrary 10 per cent reduction
would do more harm than good.
This appropriation is for the running of
city. 1t Is an appropriation in which the
Commissioners have been forced to economize
for the outgo is strictly limited by the income
not true of Federal appropriations It is an
appropriation that has been carefully examined
by House and Senate committee seeking to
lop off every unnecessary dollar, without the
presSures for spending exerted by powerful
groups of influential voters. 1t is an appropra-
tion in which more than 90 per cent of the money
comes from locally derived revenue, and where
the only Federal money involved is an arbitrarily
fixed sum in lieu of fraction of the taxes that
the Federal Government does not pay for services
1t receives.
The District bill should not be subject to
Senator Fergusons amendment, and The Star
cannot bring itself to believe that the Senator
will insist on applying his formula to an appro-
priation unrelated to the problem with which
he and his colleagues are wrestling in connection
with the diversified Federal budget of Govern
uent operating in the red