Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-21
Drastic Cutbacks
In Proposed OUTLAWS
Leave Small Surplus
Continued From First Page. }

million a year increase requested
in the Federal payment would
have to be Forthcoming in fiscal
1855. as well as the first SIT
million in Federal loans.
This SASS. 900 would launch
the General Fund portion of the
construction program.
The General Fund, supplied
by the property taxes. the sales
and gross receipts taxes and a
variety of miscellaneous taxes. is
the source of most of the Dis
trict's financial troubles.
Dwindling Surplus.
Indicative is the fact that, as
recently as the fiscal year ended
last June. the fund had a robust
surplus Of SAL million. BY the
end of the current fiscal year
next June 80. the surplus will
have dropped to $4.5 million
And so rapidly is the margin
between operating costs and
general revenues continuing to
narrow that only an emergency
$990,000 cutback in 1855 opera
tons preserved the $4,230 sur
plus that shows on the charts
of budget officials for the end of
that year.
The Commissioners had no
choice but to chop heavily in
order to effect their laSt-min-
ute budget balancing. They took
$256.000 from the schools, elm
mating number of new teacher
positions; 1858 900 from health,
which knocked out additional
public health nurses and hos
pital repairs; $260,000 from the
Fire Department, which would
prevent the stating of two new
fire companies: $4,000 from
electrical department opera
tions. and $4,000 from the
maintenance of recreation IA
cilitieS.
Would Ask Reinstatement.
Should the works program be
adopted. however. the city will
ask Congress for sufficient funds
to reinState the 1920. 900 dele
ton.
The General Fund, which ira
ditionally makes worry-warts
out Of budget staffers, stands to
be strengthened further by adop-
ton Of the works program. The
1855 estimates now include a
$1.051 .000 item for operating
sanitary sewers.
The program establishes a new
Sanitary Sewer Fund, which
would pay that operating cost.
The transfer of fund RESPONSE
bility would leave the General
Fund with 81, 051 900 to reinstate
its 100000 economy deletions,
the net effect Of which would
be that General Fund operating
expenses would be lower by $61, :
600 than the operating budget
for the current year.
Actually. the Districts antici-
pated surplus among all its spe-
cial funds by the end of fiscal
1855 viii aggregate $1,562 ,S48.
The catch there is that $1,l83,-
073 Of that sum reposes in the
Motor Vehicle Parking Fund,
which hasn't been tapped for
anything but small operating
expenses since it was created.
The Water Surplus.
The Water Fund. already sup
ported in part by a long-range
program of borrowing from the
Federal Government, will have a
thinly sliced surplus of $9.299.
The Highway Fund will have a
1886. 246 surplus. That leaves a
surplus Of only $4,230 for the
General Fund.
Like the General Fund, the
Water and Highway Funds are in
line for more revenues in the
form Of higher taxes and Federal
support.
AS they stand the Highway
Department and Water Division
can pay for a substantial amount
Of construction work in 1855
without works program aid,
however.
Highway has scheduled ST.
$4,000 to complete the SIG mil
lion East Capitol Street Bridge
project sometime in calendar
1856. Among other items are an
aggregate of more than 50 mil
lion to widen and pave all Of
East Capitol street between the
District Line and the Capitol
and to finish the development of
Kenilworth avenue from the
same bridge to Eastern avenue:
100000 for acquiring property
for the Southwest Freeway in
the Redevolpment Project B
area and $4,000 to build ap-
proaches to q new Oxon Run
Bridge at Atlantic street Sc.
Water Outlay.
Water system capital outlay
includes $2.2 million for plans
and construction money for fill
ter and chemical structures at
Dalecarlia Filter Plant and SIS
million for further plans, equip
ment and construction on the
Little Falls dam, tunnel and
pumping station. Water distribu-
ton funds include $4,000 for
new trunk lines and $4,000 to
prepare the way for a new res
ervoir in Brentwood Park.
AS for the rest Of the costs,
all are operational, in the form
either Of personnel, equipment
or maintenance.
Welfare
The budget submission dashes
cold water on Welfare Depart
ment hopes to bring relief