Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-24

from that suggested by the Commissioners.
1t was learned today that the system
adopted by the House committee Is exact
ly the same as that recommended to Con-
gress by the District Commissioners.
Last July the Treasury Department, as a
matter of courtesy to the District, agreed
to handle the trust fund for the District,
upon an arrangement almost Identical with
the system proposed by the Commission
ers and adopted In the present BILL The
funds under the arrangements made last
July were expended upon the draft of the
disbursing officer of the District. counter
signed by the District auditor.
System Provided For.
The system authorized by the House
committee in the appropriation bill pro-
vides that necessary advances from the
whole cost fund shall be made by the
Secretary of the Treasury to the District
disbursing officer. upon requisstion of the
Commissioners, for such amounts as may
be required from time to time for necessary
disbursements.
The system was drafted by Auditor John
r. Garrison of the District, and at the
hearings before the House committee on
appropriations this year the system was
presented to the committee by the Com
miss.oners The draft of the system was
adopted by the committee exactly as SUBJ
mtted
The Commissioners, jointly and severally,
declined today to discuss the provision
made In the District appropriation bill rela-
tive to accommodating the offices of the
register of wills and the recorder of deeds,
the Police Court and the District repair
shop, in the proposed new municipal build
ing. This reticence was not found, how
ever, among citizens of the District general
ly. The proposition does not seem to strike
a popular chord among residents of the
city, and the hope was expressed that the
Senate committee will take up the matter
and make provision outside of the municip-
al building, for the branches Of the District
service mentioned.
The committee appropriated 100000 for
carrying on the construction of the District
building, STIMULATING that the sum shall be
available only for constructing said build-
ing on plans that will provide for a build
ing six stories high on all sides, with Suita-
BILE accommodations therein for the offices
of the register of wills, recorder of deeds
and the Police Court, in addition to the
offices and departments now designed to be
accommodated therein, and with sub
basement story of sufficient height of cell
ing to afford suitable accommodations for
heating and light plant and for repair
shop for the District Of Columbia"
while making provision for all these
features" said prominent citizen OF the
District to Star reporter, why didn't the
committee also provide room for the Dis
trict pound. the morgue and the District
stables in the new municipal building!'
Not Desirable Acquisition.
The District repair shop is now located at
No. 10 D street, and glance within this
place is considered sufficient to dispel any
doubt that might be entertained relative
to the undesirability of placing the repair
shop in the District building. The District
repair shop is virtually a carpenter ana
paint shop combined, and in addition to
the noises incident to the work of repairing
wagons, pumps, engines, ETC., the doors
arising from the paint and other materials
used in the shop are sufficiently obnoxious
to keep away any persons who are not
obliged to visit the shop in connection with
their duties.
The ceiling of the sub-basement of the
municipal building, according to the pres
ent plans. will be but four feet above the
floor of the endorsement In order to ac-
commodate the repair shop the ceiling Will
have to be about ten feet high which, 1T is
stated, will necessitate raising OF the en-
tire superstructure or else lowering or
the building a greater distance below the
water line than at present The nature of
the ground at the site of the proposed build
ing is such that a great deal of money
would have to be expended to make pro-
vision for the repair shop in the sub-base-
ment The supporting columns would have
to be changed and many other changes
would have to be made in the plans.
A glance over the plans of the founda-
tions for the new District building show
that practically the whole foundation space
is mass of piles. This style of cOnstruc-
ton is made necessary by reason of the
insecure nature of the ground below the
surface. ~
Cost of Separate Building.
AS has been previously stated in The
Star, the Commissioners have asked for
only a total of $113.O 600 for constructing a
Police Court building on the site of the
present old structure. The cost of chang
ing the plans of the new municipal build
ing so as to accommodate the Police Court
therein, as has been stated, would amount
to about 100000. saving of about 900
could be made, however, by changing the
character of material used In the interior
court, so that the cost of the change in
plans, as estimated by the engineer depart
ment would be about $133, COO or $4,000
more than separate building for the local
courts.
1t was learned today that work on the
plans for the municipal building has been
stopped, in view of the action of the House
committee, until final decision Is reached
by Congress relative to the changes pro-
posed by the House committee on appro-
priations. The committee did not provide
for any additional appropriation for the
change In plans, in order to accommodate
the Police Court and other offices, and it
is inferred that the additional cost of the
scheme would have to be met by cheaper
ing the cost of the municipal building with
regard to the materials used and the gem
orally high character of the structure