Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-30
DC. Looks to Senate
For Hell p on Budget
Federal Share
Cut Far Below
AT Agreement
By DON S. WARREN


On the aid budget that suffered
heavy cuts yesterday at the
hands of the House Appropria-
tons Committee.
OF particular Importance was
the proposed cut of SO million
in the size of the Federal pay
ment to the National Capital.
This would hold it down to $50
million although Congress au-
thorized a $23 million payment
as the Federal share while it
laid a new load of taxes on
District residents in the 1947
Revenue Act.
House action is expected next
Tuesday and there is no thought
at this time of any major change
that will be made there.
The House committee has
Topped off nearly SIS million
from the city's spending program
to get total outlay for the year
beginning July / down to $192.5
million. This is about S5.7 mill
lion below appropriations for the
current fiscal year.
"What Happened?" Is Asked
What happened as the big gap
between this year and vast years
appropriations is something of a
mystery. Some of the cutbacks
proposed by the House commit
tee are called paper cuts" But
if they stand, they still mean re-
auctions in the city's spending
program.
When District finance experts
began an analysis of the House
committee budget, an early reac-
ton was that 1T wasn't so bad
after ALL"
For one thing, it became
clearer that about half of the
whopping cut was really a trans
fer of the direct charge against
the District to the Federal Gov
lernment of some $l2.4 million
for highway projects.
In other words these were to
be covered under the Federal Aid
Road program, under the new
law, instead of being a direct
charge against the city's high
way funds.
Might Defer Projects
That still left about 81 million
in cuts under the House COM
mittee bill. But some of this
involved projects that might be
deferred. if money wasn't readily
available. and all city officials
were under orders from the
Rabaut subcommittee of the
House Appropriations Committee
to suggest where 1858 fiscal year
savings might be made.
Representative Rabaut. Demo-
crat of Michigan, chairman Of
the subcommittee, had promised
that his group would do some
thing that might surprise and
please persons interested in the
school situation.
When the bill came out it was
found that the Rabaut subcom-
mittee and the full House Appro-
priations Committee had APP
proved nearly all of the funds
included in the school budget as
submitted.
Report on Subject
AS outlined in the Rabaut sub
committee report on this subject
the committee said:
The committee has approved
the estimate necessitated by
school population increases and
has approved one-half of the
estimate requested for the inn
provement of standards. The
amount recommended will pro-
vide for a pupil-teacher ratio Of
approximately 33 to l."
After quick look at the House
committee report. Walter l..
Fowler. District budget officer.
said he thought the proposed
cutback in the Federal payment.
along with reductions in the
spending program, merely was
deferring headaches to another
fiscal year.
Mr., Fowler told a reporter:
"InaSmuch as the District CO.
operated in suggesting where
the budget might be cut, it was
our hope and expectation that
the recommendation would be
for a Federal payment of $23
million as authorized in law.
For the Federal payment to
be cut back again." Mr.. Fowler
continued. will merely postpone
the financial problem to another
year. for we need this money
in order to provide the services
that the city requires"
Lane Comments
A little later, Engineer Com
missioner Thomas A. Lane made
this comment:
In my Judgment Congress
should appropriate the full $23
million for the District regard
less Of the cuts in the budget
we submitted. l hope full res
toration in the Federal payment
will be made in the Senate.
Il feel Congress should pay
annually the authorized amount
and if the full amount of pros
pective income is not appropri-
ated the unused portion should
accrue to our own reserve.
I'VE are facing a continually
increasing cost Of Government.
If We cannot accumulate sur
plus in the first full year fol-
lowing a substantial increase OF
taxes on our own people. it is
difficult to see how we can
have any soundly planned ad-
miniStration of the District Of