Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-06
Advice Conflicting
At Budget Hearing
BY CHARLES d. PIERCE
Star staff Writer

m6IlI SerVlCeS anu u lew cries
for cuts were sounded at a pub
lie hearing today on the pro-
posed District government
budget for next fiscal year.
This conflicting advice was
received by the District Com
missioners as they began their
hearing on the dual budget
recommended by the Depart
ment of General Administra-
ton for the fiscal year start
ing July /.
The first budget totaling
$3.50 million would be financed
from available revenues but
would require slashing of Dis
trict services. A second budget,
described by the Department
of General Administration as
still "parsimonious," has been
proposed if an additional $34
million in revenue can be OBJ
tanned.
William A. Roberts, chair
man of the Fiscal Relations
Committee of the Federation
of Citizens Associations. told
the Commissioners, This is
the year for retrenchment. We
don't feel that we can afford
some of the services proposed
in the second budget. We don't
feel there are enough sources
of revenue remaining that
have not been tapped"
Urges Check on Spending
He urged that the Commits
sioners set up "a controller
generals office" for the Dis
triet Ito keep a tighter check
on department spending, par
ticularly in the education
field"
j. C. Turner, president of the
Greater Washington Central
Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said
that he supported the second
budget, but felt that even ther
the recommendations for the
welfare Department were in.
adequate.
I'VE would like to see more
lease workers instead of inves'
tigators in the Welfare Depart.
ment," he said. so much EN-.
phasis on punitive action Il
wrong"
On taxes, Mr.. Turner said
that he felt applying the Dis
trict income tax to lower levels
of income would be a mistake.
He added that he is also OPP
posed to a sales tax on food.
Brackley Shaw, chairman of
the Committee on Legislation
and Public Budgets of the Dis
trict Of Columbia Health and
Welfare Council, said that
more funds should be provided
for the District Welfare De-
partment.
He criticized the welfare
budget on five points:
Failure to provide aid to the
children of unemployed parents,
the low boarding rates for
children in foster homes, made
quate provisions for day care,
the "unmanageable" size of
case loads in the public assist
ance division, and the made
quate provisions for staff and
a school building at Junior VIII
lage.
Ruben Clark, president of the
Washington Planning and
Housing Association, urged the
Commissioners to provide for q
"well-financed and adequately
stated central relocation serv-
ice as soon as possible" for per-
sons displaced by highway,
urban renewal and other public
works projects.
More Teachers Favored
Mrs. Richard C. Simonson,
president of the League OF
Women Voters of the District
of Columbia, told the Commits
sioners the league supports the
School Boards request for ad-
ditional teachers, enrichment
classes in summer schools and
improvements for the teachers
college.
She also said Washington's
standing on public health mat
tiers is "a source of shame TO
| its citizens" and urged inclu-
sion in the budget of all items
requested by the Health De-
partment for personnel and
supplies in both the maternity
and infant and pre-school pro-
grams"
She said the league also
wanted to stress the needs of
the mental health program.
The league, she said. believes
that taxes could be increased
on liquor, beer. wine and ciga-
rettes. 1t opposes any increases
in the general sales tax except
for the closing of certain loop
holes such as telephone service.
Mrs. Simonson said the group
particularly opposes increasing
the / per cent tax on food "be-
cause of the burden this repre-
sents to the lowest income
population"
Plea for Children
The league, she said, is sym
pathetic with the growing senti-
ment for a tax on earned in
come, the so-called payroll tax,
as a means of getting contribu-
tons toward the city's expense;
from the commuters who use
city services by day" Under
questioning, however, she sale
she felt a payroll tax would moi
be feasible at this time.
i Mrs. Anthony Schwartz. also
of the League Of Women Voters
made a special appeal that thu