The times., 1898-12-04


The District Commissioners at late
hour yesterday afternoon concluded their
conference at the Capitol with the SUBJ
committee of the House Committee on
Appropriations relative to the District
appropriat tions recommended by them In
their annual budget of estimates for the
support and maintenance of the District
government during the fiscal year ending
June go 1900.
II is each year customary for our gov
ernors to explain the various items in
cluded in their budget just prior to the
| meeting of Congress. Ordinarily 1t re-
quires week or more to complete the
conference but. this year, the record was
broken as far rs time is concerned. The
estimates, though lengthy and embracing
many important matters, were gone over
without much delay. requiring only three
| days for their consideration.
Commissioner Ross, who has been i'll
| for some weeks, is still confined to his
| apartments at the Varnum, and was
! unable to attend. The whole task of urg-
| ing the necessity of the various appro-
priations devolved therefore, upon Cons
| missiohers Wight and Beach. and they
heaved a joint sigh of satisfaction when
| the final items were" passed upon last
/ evening.
! The conference was of preliminary ma
ture. and no definite action was taken on
any of the matters contained in the bud
| District The subcommittee will hold
an executive committee meeting during
the coming week for the purpose of Civ
ing the estimates a final going over be-
| fore submitting them for the action of
the appropriations committee of Con-
gress.
| The appropriations asked for this year
are heavier than ever before. and include
items which. if passed and approved by
| Congress, will be of fncalculable value
in forwarding the development of the
capital city of the nation.
The total amount sought by the Com
missioners is ss,5ss. .O927 II. which. with the
appropriation of S12s, 1iI for the mainte-
nance of the water department to be
| paid out of the water fund. makes a
grand total of SS.3l7 ,23377 as against the
appropriation of SS.l2i.355.9o asked for last
| :,ear.
The largest item is for street improve
ment. Six hundred thousand dollars is
asked for that purpose or an increase OF
$iie.e0 over the amount appropriated last
| year A decrease of $1,000 is recon-
| mended for the suburban roads and an
| increase OF $4,000 is asked for assess
ment and permit work
The estimates for the amount nee .ssary
to complete the sewerage system of the
city are also large. 900 being asked for
| completing the Tiber Creek sewer $780,
G0 for completing the Boundary sewer,
| S52,0po for completing the east side in
tercepting sewer TO Twelfth Street east.
$s6. 900 for completing it to the foot of New
Jersey Avenue, and Sl30O0O for completing
the northerly portion of the Tiber Creek
sewer and the New Jersey Avenue high
level intercepting sewer.
Among the other items of impor ,ance
are 100000 for repairing streets, $50 O0i
for replacing sidewalks around public
reservations and municipal buildings
sl5O,OOO for repairing country roads slSS.-
800 for the reconstruction of country
roads $207. .493 for cleaning. sweeping and
sprinkling streets, $1,000 for the parking
commission. Sl95.U00 for street lighting.
$4,000 for electric arc lighting. $1,000 for
the free bathing beach, s25 900 for the con-
struction of bridges, Si7.00o for the Wash.
inSton Aqueduct, S50600O for public
school buildings and grounds.
An item of interest TO every resident il
the sum OF $4,000 asked for the removal
of ashes at public expense. made in ac-
cordance with the recommendations con-
tained in the annual report of the super
intendent of street cleaning
The sum of $4,000 is asked for six new
fire engine houses. s74,220 for the electri.
cal department of the District govern.
ment, and $4,000 for the extension of the
police patrol system.
The estimates of amounts to be ey.
pended for charitable purposes is the
largest in the list. aggregating s62S 259 so
and including, among others, the follow
ing provisions: For the relief of the poor
$4,000; support of the insane. Sl22 4gt 50;
instruction of the deaf and dumb. SO 500;
Homeopathic Hospital $500: Washington
Hospital for FoundIings, 5000: German
Orphan Asylum, $l,SO0; Association fo1
Destitute Colored Women and Children
$500; st. AIMS Infant Asylum, s. 100;
House of the Good Shepherd. s., 700: St
Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum SlS00
Young Womens Christian Home. 81 600
Newsboys' Home, $1,000: Eastern Dispen.
sary, $1,000; Washington Home for In
curables, 5000; Municipal Lodging House,
$4,000; Columbia Lying-in Hospital for
Women, $4,000; Temporary Home for ex-
Union Sailors and Soldiers, $500: Wom-
ans Christian Association, Central Dis
pensary, and Emergency Hospital, S17. 900:
Children's Hospital. $4,000. Provision is
| made for $4,000 for Freedman's Hospital.
and $1,000 for isolating wards at the Gar
field and Providence Hospitals.
An appropriation is urged for SIS, 900 for
the payment of the Northern Liberty
| Market claims.