The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-24

The District Commissioners, aided Dy
their secretary and one of the assistant
secretaries. are now going over the final
revision of their estimates prior to re-
porting them to the President and Congress
through the Secretary of the Treasury. The
returns from the various departments OF
the municipal government are now all in
their hands, except that of the Board of
Charities which viii not be completed for
some days. It is expected. however. that
the final estimates of all the other depart
ments Will by that time be finished and
that the adding of the estimates for the
department of charities will take up but
a. single session of the Board.
The amounts TO be asked for in the sew
eral departments are being made up as
fast as the list can be put in shape after
numerous reVisions and the checking up
of the various amounts as submitted by
the heads OF departments, and as compar-
ed with the amounts asked for in the last
estimates and the amounts actually appro-
priated by Congress. In this way the list
is growing troEi day to day and it is not
expected thai any revisions will be made
from the finished list as passed on by the
comm ssion6Ts.
II this connection it may be stated that
gress last year by the Commissioners
were S7,521, 532. 81. This amount, 1t vas
thought by the Commissioners. was need
ed for the prossr conduct OF affairs for
| the current fiscal year. The appropria-
ton made by Congress, one OF the most
| liberal ever received. was s., 443, 22S 81 OF
| SIS,594 less than the amount estimat ed.
| BY items contained IN the other appIo-
| priation bills s., $50, 5S7.15 was appropria-
| ted mostly for special objects, while the
| sum OF S269, 120 was appropriated for tie
! opening and extension OF streets, which
| was paid wholly out of the District reve-
| nues, the larger sums being divided half
and half between the District and the
| United States Government.
1t is understood that the Commission
! ers are being actuated in making up
their estimates this year only by the &C
| tual needs of the District and are not
| considering the probable action of Con-
gress or whether the estimated revenues
| of the District will be sufficient to pay
! one-haif of the amounts asked for.
The Commissioners think that Congress
| should be informed through the annual
| estimates of the amounts Of money act
| ually needed for economically carrying on
! the municipal government and for the
permanent growth and progress OF the
District. The Commissioners have ar
| rived at the conclusion that nothing is to
De SaiuSt Dy idlSiiyiDS the Huducfdl pSGuS
of the District in the estimates, and they
Lare this year framing the list, it is sup
posed, on a larger scale than heretofore
| Whether the aggregate count will be S.
600, coo or whether it will approach IS, Geo.
coo is not known, but it is probable thai
the amounts asked for will reach some
where between those figures
Information received from apparently
trustworthy sources goes to show that The
! IT, 81 lid.
nearly all tie additional help and en-
: largement of Office which the heads of de
partments have asked for.-Jt is under
, stood that the Fire Department will com,
: in for 2 considerable increase in estimat
!; ed appropriation, for the, purpose of es
: tablishing new engine company. a tr.cl
: company and an increase Of Is per cent il
the salaries Of the hremen. 1t is a note
, worthy fact that these men who are OF
duty long hours and who incur great per
sonal danger in the performance of thei
work are underpaid in the District of Co
, | lumbia. The Commissioners are agree
V that they should have an increase of pay
Ell and it is expected that they will endeav
or to bring it about.
It is believed that the Commissioner
have approved the recommendations of tn
Superintendent of Police by including i
Il the estimates the requisite amounts for III
increase of the police force TO the point {
| efficiency
1t is understood that the Health De
: partment will also have larger estimate
:. to carry out some OF the projects which III
g Health Officer deems needful to the I'm
provement of sanitary conditions. It
= also understood that estimates for severe
new schoolhouses and a larger sum fo
: | street Improvement will be asked for.
The Commissioners are not, of eours,
aiming at any extravaganza in the matte
= of public expenditures but are seeking /
: acquaint Congress with the idea that cit
- of 27S eco population and territory of 81,
- ty-two square miles has of necessity iare
= and increasing wants. reaching for the fs
S N"' 'e"t VI 1'0- " a. 80 S0'0'0'00O