Evening star., 1953-05-22
D. {. 10 Submit
Cost EstiInateor
Lowe Setup
Lawmakers Order
Separate Budget
On Administration

On Administration
District officials today were
speedily whipping into shape
for Congressional presentation
next Tuesday a separate budget
estimate for operating the Gen.
eral Administration Department
in fiscal 1854.
They were so instructed
yesterday, after a two-hour
closed hearing with the House
District Appropriations SUBJ
committee.
This group, headed by Repre-
sentative Wilson, Republican, of
Indiana. has been scanning city
budget estimates all week. In
the process, it has been casting
doubtful stares at the admins
tration department which has
been reorganizing the District
Government since last fall.
What gave the subcommittee
members concern was the Com
missioner's method of financing
the General Administration De-
partment to date.
The city heads have twice as
sessed each government agency
under their direct control a pro-
portionate amount of its appro-
priation to provide $24O,OO0 to
operate the administration office.
Since the administration office
was started too late to work out
a separate budget for it, the
Commissioners planned to con-
tinue the agency assessment
method to keep the administra-
tors going in fiscal 1854.
Would Check Transfers.
1t is this doubt that prompted
the subcommittee to consider
setting up a separate budget for
general administration, rather
than permitting the department
to continue transferring funds
from other agencies to finance
its operation in 1854.
In producing the new depart
mental estimate for the coming
year. the Commissioners also
must detail amounts and sources
of funds used so far to finance
the General Administration De-
partment.
These developments would
seem to indicte, at least, that
reorganization for the District
Government will continue. Some
municipal officials were begin
ming to wonder, since the sub
committee had been inquiring
so closely into the accomplish
ments and future benefits of the
program.
Cryptic Comment.
Chairman WilsonSwent SO far
as to observe that doing away
with reorganization at this mid
point would be a drastic move"
Then, he added rather CRITICALLY:
I'm my opinion, the Department
OF General Administration will
be cared for in the appropria-
tions bill to a greater or lesser
extent"
Chairman Taber of the full
Appropriations Committee. who
sat in on all of yesterdays two
hour session with the Commits
sioners and their aides, declared
he does not yet know enough
about the program to say
whether or not it should be
ended.
Il only read it for the first
time yesterday" he said with a
laugh. But then he added acidly,
None of the reorganization
plans I've ever known have been
any good. They just result in a
SuperimpoSed overhead"
Poorest Written" Act.
MIR. Taber went on, with Mr..
Wilson concurring, to say that
the local government reorgani-
zation is "the poorest written of
all reorganization acts"
Nonetheless, Chairman wilson
said. the subcommittee yesterday
did not discuss the possibility of
abolishing the reorganization
program.
For himself, he said, he FORE
sees the program will realize no
economies. but that a more ef-
f1cient and businesslike opera
ton" will be possible.
Mr.. Taber said the city supply
bill should be rewritten to take
care OF reorganization, because
the act calls for wiping out all
existing agencies by June 80.
The appropriation bill will
have to specify where money is
to go, he said, "or we'd be ap-
propriating money for agencies
that are dead"
The pending supply bill was
prepared last fall on the basis
of the District government setup
as it then existed. Under reor-
ganization, the Commissioners
have made several changes
since that time, and plan to
shift others soon.
Attending the hearing yester-
day were the three Commission
ers, eneral Administrator
Schuyler Lowe, Corporation
Counsel HTnrron Il ILL.,