Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
Commissioners Want Twelve
and a Half Millions.
LESS THAN LAST YEAR
$3, ,632, 900 NEEDED FOR EXTRA
ORDINARY IMPROVEMENTS.
Another Request to Be Made for Fed
eral Loan-School Teachers Remem-
bered-Suburban Sewers.

Idiy VI tHe treasury To-Day requests a total
appropriation of s12.417,3 50 for the gem
cal expenditures of the District government
and for extraordinary projects of improve
ment in the District during the fiscal year
1906. This amount is exclusive of the water
department budget. The sum of IS, 1885 is
requested for the general expenditures and
$3,ts32 2O00 for extraordinary improvements
The District budget as submitted to Con-
gress last year asked for total appropria-
ton of 81, SS5 ,S25. but Congress scaled it
down to $10,S1S, 134. The total appropria-
ton for the District last year, however in
GUIDING the items in the sundry civil, the
legislative, executive and judicial and the
deficiency bills, was S11,I54244
Inc total amount of the estimates sum-
mitted to the Commissioners this year
through official channels was 14175 123 CO.
Wnfie, IT Is stated, more than a million dol
lars additional was asked by individual citi-
zens and citizens associations The official
estimates were reduced by the Commission
ers by s1.I5S. .3G695.
AS was the case last year. the Commits
sloners in the budget for 1906 have sepa-
rated the items of extraordinary improve
ment from the current expenditures of the
municipality and the Commissioners an
nounce their intention of asking Congress
again at the coming session to make a per-
manent arrangements long-term advance
from the United States-to enable the Dis
tr1ct to handle its share of the cost of per-
manent improvements in a businesslike
manner.
Streets to Be Improved.
AS directed by Congress the Commission
ers submit in their estimates this year
new schedule of streets to be improved ar
ranged in the order Of the necessity for the
improvements and based upon the personal
inspection of the streets by the Commits
sioners. They renew their recommendation
of last year that the superintendent of in
surance and the justices Of the peace be
given the salary provided for by the stat
uteS, and also that a number of per diem
employees be placed on the regular rolls.
The recommendation that annual leave be
allowed employees paid by the day, but en-
ployed permanently by the District, is also
renewed.
The principal increases asked for by
the Commissioners are for the teach
ers of the public schools and the members
of the fire and police departments. Several
new school buildings in various sections of
the city are requested and the purchase of
additional land for Fairgrounds surround
ing certain schools is recommended.
One notable item of increase Is in the re-
quest for an appropriation of s159,000 for
the construction of suburban sewers. The
amount appropriated for this purpose last
year and for each previous year for the
last decade was $4,000 Residents of the
suburbs this year have made an unusually
strong effort to secure a much larger appro-
priation for 1906 and the Commissioners
deemed 1t advisable to increase the esti-
mate for this Improvement.
Among other important items of improve
ment recommended by the Commissioners is
for the installation of the high pressure
water service in the business section of
Washington, the erection of tuberculosis
wards in the municipal hospital the
struction of several bridges, continuing the
Districts work on the elimination of grade
crossings, completing the construction of
bo ri b1lil .hapr 10 aractipr,
of the new business high school, construct
ing an addition to the Mckinley Manual
Training School and various other items.
Commissioners Statement
In giving out the Commissioners esti-
mate for 1906 today Commissioner Mac
farland made the following statement:
The District estimates have been pre-
pared by the Commissioners, as for four
years past, upon the principle of recon-
mending as nearly as practicable what is
necessary for all the needs of the Dis
trict, in view of its growth. and distin-
gushing sharply between the extraordi-
nary projects of Improvement and cur
rent expenditures. The Commissioners
took into account that Congress had
made only temporary provision until the
1st of July next for the apparent def
cheney in District revenues, caused, not
withstanding increased taxation, first, by
departures from the half f-and-half' prin-
cipIe; second, by failing to take the i'm
mediate burden of the Districts share of
the cost of extraordinary projects of i'm
provement off its current revenues.
THE Commissioners will ask Congress
again at the coming session to make
permanent arrangement to enable the
District to handle satisfactorily its por-
ton of the extraordinary expenditures.
The Districts revenues are ample for
current expenditures, including the pay
ment of its bonded debt, and for the grad
nal reDaVmenf of advances fbp
ordinary improvement account from the
United States treasury with interest by
means of sinking fund, which is the
only buSineSSlike way of dealing with the
matter, since Congress will not authorize
an issue of bonds such as is made every
where else for extraordinary municipal
improvements
"The Commissioners, In preparing the es-
Inmates, had to choose between checking
the extraordinary improvements and Grip
pling the different branches of the District
government by cutting the estimates to the
size of the revenues, or recommending what
was necessary both for extraordinary and
current expenditures and trusting to Con-
gress to make the permanent provision rec
commended by the Commissioners for finane-
ing the Districts share Of the extraordinary
expenditures. OF course, the Commission
ers would not recommend, to the lasting
injury of the District, either that the rail-
way terminal improvements, the sewage
disposal sytem, the District building and
the other extraordinary works, under way
or imperatively needed, should be halted,
or that the public schools the fire, police.
health and other municipal services should
be cut down.
The Same Course
1.-The Commissioners. as the guardians of
the Districts interests and representing its
well-known views, pursued the same course
as In former recent years. The filtration
plant will be completed with the current
appropriation. but the railway terminal
work. including the abolition of grade
crossings. the sewage disposal system, the
District building. the bridge constructions,
must go on, and the high-pressnre fire pro-
lection system. and the tuberculosis wards
OF the Municipal Hospital ought to be be-
gun. Therefore. the Commissioners have
recommended the appropriation of s. 632 COO
for these extraordinary improvements, to
be financed separately, together with the
=, ,814. 1852 81, due July next, to the United
States for advances to meet the Districts
Continued on Seventh Page.)