Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-06
House Hearings
On D. {. Budget
To0penMonda
Initial Testimony
By Officials to Be
In Closed Session
BY DON S. WARREN

Congressional scrutiny of the
Districts record breaking $206 8
million budget for the fiscal
year beginning July / will be
started next Monday.
Plans for hearings were an
nounced today by Representative
Rabaut. Democrat of Michigan.
chairman of the House Appro-
priation Subcommittee in charge
of this city's spending program,
He said the hearings of his sub
committee would follow the usual
pattern.
The subcommittee usual APP
proach is to make a search for
economies, give serious thought
to the size of the Federal pay
ment of expenses of the National
Capital, call on District officials
to supply the latest estimate of
tax revenues of the District ex-
pected during the 1858 fiscal
year and call on a parade of
District officials to justify every
expenditure proposed in the
1858 budget.
The House hearings. as usual,
will be closed. After city officials
have been examined, however,
there always has been time al
lotted, during the day or at eve
ming sessions, for spokesman for
citizens groups and individuals
to present in open meetings their
views for increasing or reducing
some Of the proposed expendi-
lures.
Hospital Under Study
During the past six months,
experts attached to the Rabout
subcommittee have been max
ing detailed studies of some of
the problems of the District
Health Department with partic-
ular attention to the d. c. Cen
eral Hospital. They have gone
into questions regarding the
city's public school system and
the welfare fund.
Mr.. Rabaut indicated today
that there was no plan to release
reports on these studies, since
they were intended for the adj
vice Of the members of his SUBJ
committee. However. some of
the data assembled is expected
to be worked into the testimony
during the examination of city
officials.
While the 1858 budget passes
the $500 million mark for the
first time in history, the PRO-
posals submitted by President
Eisenhower in January are bal
anced against expected revenues.
Before the House subcommittee
acts, however, it is expected
there will be. a check against
receipts from the District S
stepped-up income tax due
April Is.
The budget as drafted by the
District Commissioners checked
by the Federal Budget Bureau
and submitted by President Ell
senhower calls on the Federal
Government to provide S23 mil
lion as the Federal share of cost.
the currently authorized amount
Of the Federal payment.
S44 Million school Figure
1t seemed clear that the RAJ
baut subcommittee as usual
would strive to find places where
the spending program could be
cut. He said he had no target
figures or percentages in mind
but that each item would be ex-
amined on its own merits.
The budget calls for an outlay
OF almost S44 million for the pub
lie schools. a budget that repre-
sents considerable advance for
the school program. This in
cludes the proposed provision of
more than 81 million for the
hire of 2l2 additions! elementary
teachers, most of them to be en-
ployed for the purpose of reduce
ing the Districts average ele t..
mentary class size from IS to 80
pupils.