Evening star., 1952-01-22
Cut D. {. Budget
Prompts Mixed
Reaction on Hill
Cannon Sees Drop
As Argument for
$12 Million Payment

Congressional reaction to the
Districts requested budget Of $136
million for the next fiscal year
varied from surprise that it was
less than this years appropria-
tionS, to disappointment that op-
Grating expenses were not reduced
further.
There was also o declaration
that the District cut justified the
full $12 million Federal pament.
Chairman Cannon Of the House
Appropriations Committee, which
will act in the city budget char
acterized the cut as gratifying.
The fact that the city's proposed
spending program for next year Is
less than that Of the current year,
while the Federal Government re-
quests are higher, was regarded by
Mr.. Cannon as all the more rea-
son for allowing the full Federal
payment Of $12 million, as pro-
vided by law.
During the last two years, Con-
greSs has trimmed the Federal
payment below that limit. This
year the United States is paying
only $11.4 million to reimburse the
city for its many services, includ-
ing the water supply. Z.
Bates Disappointed.
Chairman Bates Of the House
Appropriations subcommittee. that
viii handle the city supply bill,
expressed disappointment. He
said he has been informed the
decrease resulted from cuts in
capital outlay for improvements,
while proposed operating expenses
are higher.
"Tf1is Is not o real cut" he de-
elared. IT am disappointed. My
interest Is In economy, and In all
I can do for the Washington tax
payers, to, save money"
The District supply bill is de-
layed because members of the
Bates subcommittee are now in
volved in hearings of subcommit-
tees handling the appropriations
measures for branches Of the Fed
eral Government.
May Be Weeks Away.
Mr.. Bates said the Agriculture
supply bill is taking longer than
had been anticipated. He thought
1t would be weeks before he could
start hearings on the District
budget. Another Appropriations
Committee member estimated the
Bates subcommittee will not open
its consideration Of the District
bill until sometime In March.
Representative Taber, Repub.
lican, Of New York. the ranking
minority member Of the Appfopri-
ations Committee, Indicated he
might be willing to approve the
smaller District total this year.
But he emphasized that taxes
must not go any higher. so the
budgets will have to be cut to at
the Governments revenue.
Representative Furcolo, Demo-
crat, Of Massachusetts,, q member
Of the Bates Subcommittee, said
he hadn't seen the formal city
budget yet. But from informal re-
ports he said he thought the Dis
trict Commissioners have done
the best they can to keep their
spending as low as possible. He
said he ropes essential needs have
not been eliminated, but that he
feels the city budget might be q
good example o. curtailed SPEND
ing for the rest Of the country.
Figure Interests Wilson.
Representative Wilson, Repub-
Ncan, Of Indiana. also O, Bates
Subcommittee member, empha-
sized he has not yet seen the off,
cial city budget. But as one who
has been sitting on a suhcommit-
tee hearing testimony in closed
session for the Treasury and Post
Once Departments, he was inter-
ested ir the fact that the Dis
trict figures were lower for the
1858 fiscal year than the present
one.
ALI the Federal budgets he has
been studying, Mr.. Wilson said,
''call for more money next year."