Evening star., 1897-01-29
HOW THE CUFTINGWAs DONE
Proposed District Appropriations
the Committee.
Many Important Items Wholly Omit
.ted-Reductfons Made by Con-
gress in Other Years.

AS stated in The Star yesterday after
noon in the outline of the District appro-
priation BILL just reported from the House
committee, very heavy reductions were
made by the committee from the estimates
submitted by the Commissioners. Not
only were many of the most important
items reduced in amount, but several mat
tiers of the first consequence were omitted
entirely from the DILL. OF these the most
important was the estimate of $100,0
for new municipal building. The esti-
mate of $500 for the maintenance of the
free public library was likewise ignored.
Other items in this class were those that
follow: Twelve thousand dollars for
morgue, $3.50 for the plumbing board,
$4,000 for a new fire and ice boat for the
harbor. $4,000 for the construction Of
bridge across Rock creek, $4,000 for i'm
proving the District park in front of the
Washington market, $17, 800 for the eXten-
sion of the fire alarm telegraph.
The total reduction amounted to about
2,9O5, 600. inclusive of the water depart
ment. This scale was contributed to by a
general slicing all along the line. In the
items for the police department the Com
missioners estimates we're reduced $146,-
67S. The main cut in this paragraph was
in the matter Of increasing the 1orce, the
Commissioners estimating for 6!}o salaries
salaries, involving a reduction OF $lO9,l4o
Practically the same experience was en-
countered in the treatment OF the nre ue-
partment, in which reduction OF $ll3,Gs
was made, although the commttee con
sented to an increase of twenty salaries
over the number provided for IN the cur
rent bill.
In the paragraph relating to public
schools, the total reduction amounts to
$5SS. 7S0. The heaviest cut was IN the item
of new buildings, which SufrerS a reQuCtlOn
of $539, 500.
The appropriation for the repair OF the
aqueduct loses $4,000 from the estimates
The paragraph On bridges shows loss OF
s55. 600 mainly In the single item noaed a OF OF
the Rock Creek bridge. Under the head OF
telegraph and telephone service there IS
scaling of $36,27O, and under reformator1es
and prisons the estimates are cut by $6O,9lo.
The fund for repairs of streets, avenues
and alleys goes from an estimate OF $780,
600 to an appropriation Of $4,000; for re-
pairs of county roads. the estimate OF $6O,-
COO goes to 50, 1000; for the construction of
county. roads the Commissioners asked
1920 and the committee recommends
800; for the parking commission the
Commissioners asked N1j0OO and the COM
mittee grants $4,000.
The Commissioners endeavored to secure
an increase in the amount for street clean
ing and estimated for 100000, but the
committee wrote in the bill under this head
the same amount as the current bill car
ries, $3.50, 500
For public lighting by gas or oil the Com
missioners estimated $203,193.64 as against
a present appropriation OF $150,OO0; the
committee granted $13S, S,000.
The following table will show the differ
ences between total appropriations and es-
Inmates for several years past. The item
under the head appropriations for 1898 is.
ported to the House, and does not repre-
sent what the bill will finally carry.