Evening star., 1898-12-12
The District Bill.

IL was TO be expected. after the recon-
Ihei'dsit'Hl OF the secretary of the Treasury
that the District appropriation bill wouId
emerge from the committee in a sadly re-
auCei cohdltl0n as compared with the Com
missioners' estimates. And experience has
taught the citizens to expect as well that
the hiH in its first stage will carry a total
less than the current appropriations. So
there Is no surprise attached to this pre-
Sthtittl0n, however serious the cuts may he
found The bill carries at present, excIrr-
slFe OF the water department. a total of
$.E'n, S3.I1. which is $3.50 $500 less than
The Commissioners estimated and Sl{1 2Iq "a
less than the aggregate of the current ap-
preparations. Some consolation NAV be
found by referring to the bills of last year
and the year before. in their similar stages
Tw" years ago the first draft Of the bill
carried S.6i2 S56tE;. or s. So ss3p - less than
the estimates and $Si IL less than the
current law. Last year the bill when re-
ported carried S5J9 io6.5T, or s. 414 AZ 81
less than the estimates and SJJT H54 :IG less
than the law. So that the present bill car
ries $12l. IG.5n more than it did at this
stage "A year ago and $5s7 952 81 more than
1t did at the same stage two years ago.
While the cut from the estimates is heavier
than it has been before during this period
the cut from the law is much less than that
of last year
II is to he expected that the appropria-
tions VIII he increased. perhaps by the
House itself. assuredly by the Senate com
mittee and by the Senate From the Sen
ate's figures. which are ordinarily at high
water mark, there is always fall az the
bill is pruued in conference. but in the light
of the past and the present it is fair to ex-
Kg-f 60,
carry the total below the present law. but
Will more probably leave il considerably
higher. The cuts from the estimates are
heavy. hut aside from the streets and the
sewers they do not seriously threaten to in
terfere with the satisfactory administra-
tiou of the District
Changes from the existing law are varied
IN character. They do not strike particu-
iarly AT any special department In the
item If street improy ements there is a drop
of $41.!,'O from the current allowance: in
the item of continuing the work on the Ii
brr Creek intcrCs pting sewer there is a
drop Of 5000, although there is an in
crease Uf S:0,Ot1 ia this item from the esti-
mates. while there is an increase over the
current Law Of $1IotNn in the item of con-
structing the northern portion of this sew
ct. to conform with the estimates: there is
sweeping: drop Of $tS5 go occurs in the
charities schedule. this sum being given to
Garfield and Providence hospitals by the
sundry civil act
So run the cuts from the current law
The cuts from the es,.mates are more
numerous and startling. The projects for
two eastside Intercepting sewers. the est-
mates aggregatiug SIS 0oo are omitted.
The Northern Liberty Market claims
amounting TO Sl3J 900. also go out But
there are a few increases and some changes
which afford room for hoping that the fu-
ture development Of the bill will be salts
factory The public library gets as much
as at present, but not much as 1t needs
The schools are not sufficiently provided
FOR. hut there is some increase granted for
salaries Of teachers and more than the
present law allows for new buildings. The
police and flre departments are untouched
One Of the most serious cuts is in the item
Of completing the aqueduct tunnel and
reservoir which falls from current ap-
preparation of Sx9T 21O.50 to $4,000 This
Will doubtless be increased later.