Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-26
RUNNING WHITE HOUSE
EXPENSES HAVE BEEN INCREAS-
ED NECESSARILY.
Col. Bingham Estimates the Amount
for Maintenance During the
Year at $11o,264.

A statement regarding the increased cost
of maintaining the Executive Mansion since
it's enlargement was transmitted to the
House today through Secretaries Root and
Shaw from Col. Theodore A. Bingham, SUI
perintendent Of public buildings and
grounds. The amount for maintenance
during the year asked in the estimates sub
mitted makes total Of $11O,264.
In explanation Col. Bingham says: 1T
was impossible at the close of the last ses-
sion Of Congress to do more than submit
the usual estimates based on the experience
of past years.
Nov, seven months later, circumstances
have changed. The White House has been
changed so materially that an entirely new
estimate is needed. with no past experience
as a guide, and with the separate building
for the offices of the President to be pro-
vided for also. The recent changes of the
White House have resulted in q building
far more expensive to keep up than for
merly." The architects have not yet fully
completed their work, he says, and it will
certainly be the end Of February before all
workmen are completely out of the house.
1t will be impossible to give accurate esti-
mates of the cost of running the new house
until the workmen are out of the way and
a whole year has elapsed thereafter, be-
cause it takes whole year for the house to
be put through its various different uses.
A Rough Estimate.
Colonel Bingham makes the following
rough estimate which he says is below
rather than above the actual needs:
"One assistant electrician at $50 per
month. one plumber at $1,000 per year, one
head fireman at $65 per month, two as
sistant firemen at $55 per month, two ex-
ira house servants at $50 per month each,
two extra laborers in laundry at S25 per
nooh ho,, hn,, 1ft,rp
and plants $1,000: for extra labor. sundries
of all kinds for the large functions in win
ter and for increased entertainments in
the White House throughout the year,
5000; for the purchase Of extra flowers
beyond what can be supplied from the
propagating gardens. 81, 800.
1T Is impossible to make this estimate
complete, but will be seen the above
amounts to about $4,000 which, added to
the $4,000 found necessary during the
past year, makes a total of $4,000, and
the appropriation should be 100000 to cover
all contingencies.
Under the heading maintenance Of
White House grounds within the iron
fence the former appropriation was 81 600.
This was at a time when the services OF
the entire force Of gardeners and laborers
used in the White House Conservatives
were available. AS the Conservatives have
been abolished and the force referred to Is
no longer available for this use. it is neces-
sary to increase this estimate to $4,000
Increased Lights.
1.-THE number of lights in the house has
been increased two and half times, now
numbering over 900; the new electric
motor takes two and half times the cur
rent formerly used, and there is an electric
dish warmer in the pantry which consumes
considerable current. Under the new
plumbing system it is necessary to run an
electric pump nearly all day.
I'm addition to all of the above, which is
in the White House itself, there Is the
lighting Of the new executive office building,
of which l have not now the exact figures,
but which very materially Increase the
amount of the current used. The former
appropriation for this service was $12 500.
instead of which $4,000 will now be re-
Quired.
1.-The item for fuel. which has heretofore
been $1,000. will now require $1,000, be-
cause Of the increased number Of fires and
the increased quantity Of fuel required to
heat the new executive office, which Is a
separate building"
The sum of $1,000 is asked for the propa-
Two I'd