Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-03
ESTIMATES FOR 1905
Police Court Judges Ask for
New Building.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES
ASKS ADVANCE IN SALARIES OF
SEVERAL sUBoRDINATEs.
Needs Of the Harbor Office Detailed
b. Coroner Wants Another
Clerk.
COLLECTOR OF TAXES

The heads Of all the various divisions OF
the District government are busily at Work
preparing estimates for the appropriations
they desire for their bureaus for the next
fiscal year. The estimates OF the flre de-
partment were given to the public yester-
day, and those of the Police Court. tax
collectors office. harbor master, the In
spector of gas meters and the coroner are
presented today. The work of preparing
the estimates for the bills that will show
what government is going to cost during
the year ending June 80. 1905 is one of the
most difficult tasks the officials Of the vari-
Gus departments of the executive office are
called upon to undertake. They are best
acquainted with the needs Of their various
departments and they are the ones to whom
the most pressing needs are most apparent
They want certain work done. certain i'm
provements made, and they estimate what
they will cost the government. The esti-
mates are forwarded to the Commissioners
The Commissioners are usually able to
gauge about what Congress will award
them They know some of the needs of the
District and they are cognizant of some Of
the pressing reforms that should be under
taken, but they are also aware Of the eco
nomical spirit that governs the legislators
of the nation, and their work with the esti-
ination. When the report of the Commits
sioners and their estimates are presented
to Congress shaving down of the amounts
in the various department estimates is
shown, and the result Of much work on the
part of the District triumvirate is brought
to the attention of the people.
Police Court Estimates.
The most important item presented to the
Commissioners today was found in the esti-
mates for the Police Court. in which an
item is contained for the purchase of site
and the preparation of plans for a new Po-
lice Court building. The sum of $4,000 Is
asked for this purpose and the Commission
ers informed that:
1.-The unsuitable character and unsanitary
condition of the present Police Court build
ing is a disgrace to the capital city of the
nation. Not only has 1t been ventilated
over and over again in the newspapers, by
the Board of Trade and Business Mems AS
ISOLATION. but by citizens who are called to
said building on public business. We refer,
therefore. to all of these reports and state
ments, which are we'll known to the Com
missioners, and which we ask them to bring
before the proper committees of Congress,
that this disgraceful condition be not al
lowed to continue longer than the same can
be cured"
The Commissioners are also asked to in
clude an item of $3.50 in the estimates for
additional compensation of justices of the
peace who occupy the bench of the Police
Court during the absence Of the police
judges during the vacation term Before the
new code became effective the justices of
the peace of the District who occupied the
police bench were allowed SO per diem.
After the code went into operation and the
salaries of justices of the peace were fixed
at 5000 per year the additional compensa-
ton was cut off. Later the salaries of the
justices were reduced to $1,000 per annum
but no provision was made for additional
compensation. and that is now asked. The
other estimates are practically the same as
last year. including an item to increase the
salary of the judges from 5000 to $1,000.
except that Congress will be asked to in
crease the salary of the financial clerk from
81 500 to 81 800 per year.