Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-29
ANNUAL ESTIMATES
Commissioners Prepare Statement Of
Anticipated Expenses.
APPROPRIATIONS REQUIRED FOR 1901
Total of $7,3ee,oo2. 81, Exclusive
Of Water Department
THE ITEMS EXPLAINED

The Commissioners of the District today
completed their estimates of the expenses
required for the support and maintenance
of the District government during the com
ing fiscal year, ending June 30, 1901. The
law requires the estimates to be handed in
to the Secretary of the Treasury on or be-
fore October 1, and they will be forwarded
to the Secretary today or tomorrow.
For the current fiscal year the District
appropriation bill, exclusive of the amount
authorized to be expended by the water de-
partment, amounted to $6.776 1927, and in
addition to this last mentioned sum Con-
gress authorized the expenditure of about
81 100000 for the extension of sundry
streets. The estimates for the coming fis-
cal year, exclusive of those for the water
department, amount to $7,399, O92.31. The
estimates for the water department, which
are payable entirely from the receipts from
water rents and taxes for laying water
mains and erecting fire plugs, amount to
$157, S31.
Explanatory Statement.
In explanation of their estimates the
Commissioners today made the following
statement:
1.-The Commissioners have been greatly
embarrassed in the preparation of these
estimates by the difficulty in arriving at
| an accurate estimate of the amount of rev.
enue which will be available for the pur-
pose. The liberal appropriations made by
the last Congress for street extensions pay
able exclusively out of the revenues derived
from taxes and other private sources, not
only absorbed all of the surplus revenues
of the District. but materially encroached
upon the probable receipts from that source
for the year covered by the estimates. The
Commissioners were thus obliged to curtail
their estimates in regard to parks and in
many other respects where the public in
terests required large expenditure, and omit
many greatly needed items altogether"
The public schools have Jared better than
any other municipal department in the new
estimates, nine new school buildings being
asked for by the Commissioners. These
schools, if provided for by Congress, are to
be located as follows: lexington, addition
to the Greenleaf School, Washington
Heights, Petworth, Twining City, Kenil
worth. Colored Manual Training School and
two eight-room schools for the colored chill
dren. To purchase the sites for these nine
schools, and to construct them, the Com
missioners ask a total appropriation of
$437 500.
Police and Fire Departments.
In the police department the Commits
sioners ask for twenty-five additional pri-
Yates of class one, and the same number Of
additional privates of class two, one add-
tional lieutenant and three sergeants and
two additional station keepers. They APP
that police station be erected north Of
Florida avenue. and for that purpose ask
an appropriation of 500 600
An additional assistant to the chief engi-
neer of the fire department. at 81 200 per
annum, is asked for by the Commissioners
and they ask provision for enough men to
equip the two truck companies and the
chemical engine company provided for in
the current District appropriation act.
They also ask for an engine company for
Southwest Washington. for a truck COM
pany in Southeast Washington and for a
combination company in Brookland. To
provide house for No. & engine COM
pany, to be located between 4th and 7th
H and / streets, they ask the sum of
900. and for stable in the rear of No
engine company, $500 The total amount
for these companies and stable is
S105 900
The estimates forwarded to the Sec
rotary of the Treasury are given below.
Where two sets Of figures appear the first
means the amount appropriated by the
current appropriation bill and the second
the amount asked for by the Commission
ers. Where but one set of figures appear
the amount mentioned is that recommended
by the Commissioners.