Evening star., 1901-12-18
Effort of Commissioners to Comply
With Suggestions Received.
PUBLIC WORK LIKELY FOSUFFER MOST
Hearing Promised by House Sub
committee on Appropriations.
CUTS IN CONTEMPLATION

The District Commissioners have been at
work for several days past endeavoring to
bring down Their estimates for the fiscal
year beginning July next to the 81 $780, 900
mark, In compliance with the request of
the chairman of the House subcommittee
appropriations. To bring the estimates
within the amount stated it is said, will
require the striking out of practically all
important items of public work and to pro-
vide simply for the actual running expenses
of the District government. This will be
welcome news to the citizens associations
and TO residents generally and it is almost
universally hoped that Congress may real
ize the condition of affairs and make ap-
propriations in excess of the figure named
by the Secretary of the Treasury, as indi-
Gated by the House committee mentioned
above.
The Commissioners will have a hearing
before the House subcommittee on appro-
priations the morning of January Z, and at
that time will be able to present the mod
flied estimates. which will have been cut
down to the lowest possible notch. At the
same time the Commissioners Will make a
plea for more money: Their compliance
with the request of the House committee
does not mean that they have given up
the fight for amount very nearly ap
preaching that watch was mentioned in
their original estimates, as forwarded to
the Secretary of the Treasury. These
called for appropriations amounting to over
S1o,0m,u00
Probable Omissions.
1t is stated at the District building that
ii the District appropriations are actually
reduced to S7.50000O. has been recon-
mended, all work the improvement of
streets. sidewalks, etc, the laying of sew
ers and continuance of the sewage dis
posal system. will of necessity be stopped.
When the Commissioners were called upon
to reduce their estimates by nearly sd, 0OO,-
600, they addressed letters to the heads of
all District departments, asking that they
revise their departmental estimates and to
let the Commissioners know the lowest
amount that would suffice for the proper
conduct of their departments or Offices
The principal cut in the estimates has
been in the engineer department. At one
stroke. it Is stated. the Engineer Commits
soner has regretfully swept aside esti-
mated appropriations of 81 800 600. OF this
amount, s1,000,000 had been estimated for
carrying on the construction of the filtra-
ton plant, a project in which the entire
population of the District is interested, and
which IS regarded one of the most i'm
portant and needful improvements which
have been devised in late years. For the
current fiscal year Congress made an ap-
preparation of 100000 toward the cost of
the plant 1t is confidently believed that
in spite of the adverse preliminary action
of the House subcommittee Congress will
make some provision for the filtration sys-
tenn which has been so auspiciously begun.
High-Pressure Water Service.
Another item included in the estimates
of the engineer department and which has
now been eliminated called for s50O,OOO as
the total cost of establishing a separate
high-pressure water service for the down
town sections of the city to be used for
fire protection purposes only. The system
was recommended by Mr.. W. A. McFar-
land, the superintendent of the water de-
partment, and was placed in the estimates
by the Commissioners upon the motion Of
Former Engineer Commissioner Beach.
The plan to establish this system met with
great favor from the citizens generally and
especially the merchants. The water was
to be drawn through special main from
the Reno reservoir, which is located about
400 feet above the level of the downtown
section. 1t was calculated that without
the aid of a fire engine a stream could be
thrown more than 100 feet into the air or
oF-er the tallest building in the city
The engineer department will also cut
down its sewer estimates to the lowest
possible figure and will not attempt to add
which is now being worked on.
Item Amounts to s25O.OOO
Ii is expected that the reductions which
are being made in the estimates for the
police and fire departments alone will
amount to nearly $250,OO0. These two serv-
Ices the Commissioners We're anxious to
improve. The growth of the city demands
ever-increaSing police and fire departments
They are necessities.
The board of education will be called
upon to make quite reduction in it's esti-
mates, and it is expected that the 100000
item for site for a new business high
school will have to be eliminat ted. as well
as other school projects. The board of
charities will also reduce it's estimates ma
terially.