Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-07
Senate Asked
To Restore Cuts
in DC. Budget
Officials Stress
Need for Rise in
Federal Payment
BY DON S. WARREN


District officials today asked a
Senate Appropriations Subcom-
mittee to restore to the city's
1857 budget all but 100000 of
the $3.1 million of cuts made in
the bill by the House, stressing
that this can be financed if Con-
gress comes through with a leg
islated SO million increase in the
Federal payment.
In enacting the new District
revenue law increasing various
District taxes, Congress author
lied an increase in the Federal
share from $40 million to $23
million. Actual appropriation of
this Federal share increase, how
ever, awaits the submission of a
public works supplemental bud
get, expected to arrive at the
Capitol after Congress has COM
Ipleted action on the regular sup
ply bill.
If the District is not granted
this increase in the Federal
share, it was made clear today
at the opening of the Senate
hearings. the District would face
a deficit or an upset in its
budget program.
Raised by Stennis
The question of the amount of
taxes on real estate here was
raised early by Senator Stennis,
Democrat of Mississippi, chair
man of the subcommittee, who
remarked that he was a Dis
trict taxpayer and found that
his property tax here was not
as much as it was in his home
State.
Senator Stennis said he had
had children in the schools here
and was very much interested IN
the problems of the schools and
that he wanted to see the schools
improve rather than retrogress.
There will be lot of talk here
in these hearings about schools"
he said, but we have got to pay
for improvements" He added
that he did not say that criti-
cally.
He then called on city officials
to supply reports on increases in
tax revenues. in connection with
the new revenue law and for a
special report on the real estate
,reasseSSment program that is
now under way. He then added:
I've got to be convinced-and
! am not yet convinced-that the
District is taxed in proportion to
benefits that come from living in
the District"
Hayden Asks Ratio
/ Senator Hayden, Democrat of
Arizona, chairman of the full
Senate Appropriations Commit
tee, asked what was the ratio of
property assessment here to
full value. Schuyler Lowe. gen.
eral administrator of the city
government. said good progress
was being made on the reassess-
ment program but that increased
revenues from it would not be
reflected in the city financing for
about two years.
Senator Hayden reacted ia
vorably to plea by John E.
Fondahl. District civil defense
chief, for restoration of a $97,-
600 House cut in his budget.
Senator Hayden said that IF
there is a critical target area it
is the Capital of the United
States"
]. 1T seems to me it is a small
amount and we ought to allow
it," he declared.
statement Presented
/ A general statement on the
District financial picture was
presented at the opening by
Commissioner David B. Karrick.
acting for Robert E. Mclaughlin,
president of the Board of Com
missioners, whose Office reported
|, him i'll at home with a cold.
Mr.. Karrick said if the Sem
ate restores S2.6 million of the
cuts made by the House. it would
raise the 1857 budget to $182.-
408, 900.
The principal item urged for
| restoration is 81 million for a
new health school on District
owned property at Thirteenth
and Allison streets N. w. The
House cut this out because at the
time District officials were not
In agreement on the location for