Evening star., 1952-03-25
District Budget
Cut tS5,387,
|ByHouseGroup
| $l3l Million Asked
| As SIoshes Soar
To $35 Million
By Don S. Worreu

DVH - WObSU
The House Appropriations Conn
mittee today chopped $5,387. 100
from the Commissioners "econ-
omy" 1858 budget Of 1854 mil
lion to reduce the spending plan
for the year beginning July / to
slightly more than $l31 million.
The action, based on recommen-
dations of the subcommittee
headed by Representative Bates,
Democrat. Of Kentucky was q
surprise since members of the sub
committee had been protesting
that the budget estimates were so
tight they found little chance for
savings.
The reductions come as q fur.
ther jolt since the Commissioners,
striving for a "bare bones" budget.
already had sliced $50 million
from the requests of their depart
ments. The total cuts, including
today's actions. therefore. amount
Ito about $35 million from what
the departments said they needed.
The cut in the total bill Is SO
per cent below District requests.
Curb ON Promotions.
Highlights of the bill as sent
to the House include:
Denial Of all within grade pro-
motions for District employees.
Reduction of the capital outlay
proposals from SPOT million to
$19.7 million-a sum more than
$l2 million below appropriations
for this fiscal year.
Recommended abandonment Of
the centralized school athletic
fund, with a limitation Of $G5,000
|set for the purchase, cleaning and
repair of athletic clothing and
equipment.
Provision for more than 80 new
teachers for the colored schools
and q warning from the commit
tee that limitations will be writ
ten into the bill for the following
year unless school authorities
step up transfer Of teaching jobs
from white to colored schools.
$4,000 for Fluoridation.
Provision Of fund Of about
SOL 900 for operation Of the fluori-
1 dation Of District drinking water.
scheduled to begin about June /.
i Denial for the second year Of q
SITS, 900 fund sought by the Rec
reation Board to permit it to take
J up the contract Of s. g. Leofiler
for the operation Of the Districts
i public golf links.
4 The bill. as it goes to the House.
calls for a full $12 million Fed
eral payment. as authorized IN
the Districts last revenue act pro-
viding for boosts in District taxes.
A fight over the size Of the Fed
eral payment developed in the
brief meeting of the full Appro-
!, priations Committee shortly be-
fore noon. Before the committee
sent the bill to the House. Repre-
sentative Taber, Republican. Of
New York. the ranking minority
member Of the committee. moved
to reduce the Federal payment by
10 per cent, or by $1.2 million.
This was defeated by a vote Of
is to 10, but indicated the move
would be revived in the House.
If the House and Senate sustain
the extra cutting. the anticipated
surplus at the end of the next fis-
cal year will be increased to nearly
$7.4 million. The Commissioners
budget had anticipated surplus
of some $2.10 million, as an extra
cushion for emergencies. The
extra budget cuts would add more
than $50 million to this reserve.
Three Factors Cited.
\ The Bates subcommittee said it
was motivated by these three con-
siderations:
That sufficient reduction
should be made to permit each OF
the separate funds general, high
way, water and motor vehicle
Iparking) to show an adequate op-
lerating surplus for possible con-
|tingencies;
THAT wherever possible no ac-
tivity should be granted an
amount in excess of the 1852 ap-
preparations without substantial
justification; and
That in connection with the
proposal to deny increases, the
Icommittee specifically referred to
the requirement to the Bureau of
the Budget applied to all other
Federal agencies that amounts for
: within-grade increases should not
be incorporated in the 1863 esti-
mates"
/ The Bates subcommittee said
the major portion Of its actions
on the multitude Of spending
items was within the framework
Iof these principles.
Million for Schools.
Il For the schools the Commission
lers recommended an outlay Of
1921 million. The committee cut
this to $25.4 million. or by $674,-
900. This is less than the cuts