Evening star., 1893-12-09
The Proposed Heavy Cut in the E1-
penditures of the District.
APARTMENT HOUSES TO Be POPULAR.
A Great Scheme for RecIaiming an
Entire Locality.
SOME IMP YEMEN rs.


retary OF the Treasury there will be nearly
million Of dollars of the money which will
be paid this year into the treasury by the
citizens of the District which will not be
expended In meeting the current expenses
1t will remain in the United States treasury
IL may be paid out to meet the extra
calls which Congress has OF late been max
ing in the form Of charges which cone
wholly out of the District funds The hole
IN the ground which is commonly known as
the aqueduct tunnel has not yet been aid
FOR. and 1t may be that this year an effort
will be made to get a big slice for this debt
out OF the District However. the important
feature Of the policy proposed by the Sec
retary Of the Treasury is that there will be
a much smaller expenditure than the rev.
enues for the year justify. 1t is proposed
that the appropriations for the District Tor
the ensuing year shall be the same as the
appropriations for the present year. in spite
OF the fact that owing to increased taxation
this year as compared with last year the
property owners Of the District are paying
considerably more into the public treasury.
1t seems that the proposition now is to de-
prive the people of the main benefit that
comes from heavier taxes, which is the in
creased expenditure in improvem which
concern the entire city.
Big Reduction I'm the Funds.
Owing to the arrangement which exists of
dividing the current expenses as represented
by the appropriations between the general
government and the District the loss in
funds available to be spent during the COM
ing year will be much greater than the fig
ures given above. These figures represent
onlv the Districts share in the difference
between the sum estimated for and the
amount which Secretary Carlisle recon-
mends to Congress to appropriate. If the
money was appropriated as the District
Commissioners have estimated. and. as is
well known, this estimate is based strictly on
the revenues Of the District then s.. $50 600
would be available for the next year more
than will be the case IL only the same
amount as was appropriated last year is
allowed The-e is pressing need for the use
OF every cent of this money to meet the
various needs OF the District as stated by
the commissioners in their estimates. The
proposed cut IS one of the heaviest ever rec
commended, and in addition to the injury
from the Scaling down of necessary ex-
penses. there Is the injustice OF refusing to
expend for legitimate municipal purposes all
the money which is paid by taxpayers, in
sacrifice
II Congress determines finally to leave un-
expended nearly Sl.OUOOc0 of the money of
the taxpayers of the District il is not likely
that the propositions which have been made
TO secure authority ior the issue of bonds in
order 10 extend the sewer system and the
streets of the city out into the suburbs will
meet with much favor. Howeve-, an effort
VIII De made 10 convince The appropria tion
sSninittees .S OF the need of following closely
the estimates made by the District Commits
sioners and in that event the city will enioy
the Denent OF the increased burden of tax
alton.
Apartment Houses.
III Is likely that people who have money
% invest will be apt to look with more ia
vCr In the future upon schemes for the
erection OF pertinent houses than has been
the case in the past. One or two large
buildings of this character are awaiting
only the coming OF easier times in the
money market to pass out of the condition
or being 'on paper to assume the more
substantial outlines which solid walls of
brick and stone give. In the past the great
majority OF such schemes never advanced
any farther then this chrysalis or paper
stage. and unless the dust has dfmmed the
lines or the mice destroyed the form they
Can still be seen along with other speci-
mems OF architectural drawing which form
the litter OF nearly every architects office
1t Is evident that the time is approaching
wEeh there will be place for such build
inYs IN this city. and then. of course more
OF them Will be erected The demand for
accommodations of this character is shown
To some extent by the crowded condition
OF the apartment buildings now in use
Thus far. with some minor executions
the buildings already erected are used more
as hotels or large boarding houses than as
they were originally intended to be- fully
equipped houses. The occupants of the flats
In this city evidently prefer to be rid of ali
housekeeping cares and so instead of hay-
ing Kitchen as part Of the suite they
dispense with that necessary domestic adj
5unct and take their meals in the cafe
which is a feature of the apartment mousse
In the same way they are rid of personal
responsibility for the servants and that IL
10 tha
age housekeeper. 1t is probable that the
advent of the full fiedged apartment house
here VIII yet be delayed for some wears 10
come. and II may be that IL will never be-
come one of the institutions. In some other
places this cooperative system of living is
theory.
A Useful Speculation
1t is a wonder that some one with a long
head Tor speculation does not see money in
condition, which is somewhat peculiar to
this city At least il is frequently men
toned by authors of descriptive articles
about the city In which attention is called
TO the contrasts presented by the proximity
OF the houses of the poor and the rich. the
stately brown stone cheek and ioU,I with
some little frame shanty. These contrasts
are found on the finest residence streets Of
Me CITY. ana there are cases where instead
OF single houses. there are whole blocks
"nlch present the same extremes i'm the
character of the improvements one bIoct
Is raced with fine modern houses while on
the square adjoining the improvements are
mean ana cheap. The locality is the same
ana yet there is this pronounced difference
not only in the style of the houses. but
IN The value of the land. The difference
In values Is sometimes represented by one
or two dollars a foot ~
IL seems that there would be money for
any one who would buy outright Ali the
property IN one of these squares that have
become run down at the heel Having once
secured possession the old buildings couId
De removed and then the value Of the
ground would be enhanced one hundred per
cent and perhaps more. The deterioration
Is que 10 the character of the improvements
and when all that is changed of course
the effect on values would be appreciablo
There are several localities where a scheme
OF this sort could be tried. and even IL there
was no promise of gain the plan is a good
one, because its execution would be a hem
ent 70 all the property in the immediate
neighborhood.
The Value of Property.
When people become sufficiently interest,"
ed again in real estate to get excited over
values especially in connection with an as
sessment. the recent sale of property on the
north side of F street between 18th and I4tn
streets will be the subject az a good deal of
argument Last week the property was Of