Evening star., 1909-09-01
DIVIDING UP THE CASH
CONTINUED from First Page.)

tCOnIlnuS0 from FlTSL fdSe.J
highways: $3.50 ,S46, or 1918 per cent. for
charities and corrections; s1.SO3.966. Or
1922 per cent for education: 1888. 14D, or
SO per cent, for recreation; $134, So 40, or
la per cent. for miscellaneous expenses;
$38, 600, or a per cent. for public service
enterprises. and s9719os or lo42 per cent
for interest and debt
For the present fiscal year. the table
shows. the appropriations total so. s32
386 81. divided as follows: $oI169o or o.3o
per cent for general government; Sl,S9h
72352 or 1876 per cent for protection OF
life and property: s1OO6.2 300 or 9-3S per
cent for health and sanitation: H.I49So
or 1907 per cent for highways: 1854, SAB or
$50 per cent for charities and corrections;
S2.s71 $50 or 26.76 per cent for education:
$a37.s15 or 3.15 per cent for recreation;
items: $132. fGO or 1.23 per cent for public
service enterprises. and $977 sos or OIL per
cent for interest and debt.
The decrease in the amount expended
for general government is explained by
the fact that five years ago the new Dis
trict building was being paid for. A de-
crease In tine appropriations for health
and sanitation is also accounted for by the
fact that five years ago the new sewage
disposal plant and many new trunk sew
ers were being paid for.
Less for Highways.
One notable fact brought out by this
table is that less proportion of the Dis
tricts money is being paid today than five
years ago for highways.
Commissioner West stated today that he
had followed each stage of the work of
preparing the comparative statement with
the deepest interest.
I'VE have now" he said, 'for the first
time the appropriations for the amounts
of money expended for each department
Of the District government during the last
five years analyzed and compared. The
most noticeable fact emphasized In this
statement is the enormous Increase in
appropriations under the head of public
education The amount expended for
schools now amounts to nearly S.OOO,UO
a year. or $1.00O.OO0 more than was ex-
pended in the year 1906. The largest per-
centage Of this increase Is found under
the head Of new buildings, the appropria-
tions for buildings and grounds for the
last three years having averaged consid-
erably over $6O0.OOO annually. whereas In
1906 the amount was only Sl66.oO0 In
addition to this we are now paying about
$2JO,O0O a year in increased salaries to
the teachers which amount does not in
clude $4,000 given to them as longevity
pay AS one-fourth of the aggregate rev.
enues Of the District are expended upon
generous provision made for public edu-
cation.
Big Increase for Schools.
while the public schools have thus
been receiving the largest proportion Of
the increase. other essential features have
apparently been neglected. For instance.
We are spending today only about 100000
more for our streets. county roads and
bridges than we did five years ago. The
amount allotted for street cleaning has
remained almost unchanged during this
period, although new streets have been
opened and traffic is constantly growing
heavier in the business portion Of the
city. The fire department spends today
$3OAOOO more than 1t did five years ago,
while the cost of the police force is only
about $1fOOo0 more. \ very large item
Of increase in District expenditures is the
cost Of assisting TO maintain the Supreme
Court Of the District, charge which five
years ago was maintained exclusively by
the federal government. This cost Is now
nearly $2slOO09
The increase In the health department
has been normal. while charities and cor
payers S1.ON0OO q year in round figures
1t seems apparently impossible to reduce
this large Item of expense On the con-
trary the demands for the Increase Of the
fund are numerous"