The Washington herald., 1913-09-02
ON
DISTRICT NEEDS
Recommendations for I'm
provements Are Invited by
the Commissioners.
FIGURING ON BUDGET
Local Rulers Say They viii Try to
Get Appropriations for
Each Suburb.
FIGURING ON BUDGET

Civic organizations of the District are
being given the opportunity this year to
cooperate closer than ever before with
the Board Of Commissioners in the mat
/ ter of determining the improvements to
be made in Washington during the next
fiscal year. Not only are the new Dis
| trict heads showing every willingness to
consider requests from the various citi-
zens and community associations, but
they have invited all these bodies to
submit lists of the improvements most
needed in their respective territories.
Response to the Commissioners request
| for data has been prompt and enthusiast
tic. The Commissioners have announced
that, so far as the District revenues per-
nit, they will draft budget, in which
provision will be made for the most i'm
mediate needs of every community. and
members of the citizens associations feel
certain that one or more OF the impor-
tant items on their lists will be included
in the next anual estimates.
Work upon the budget will be begun
early this month, when Engineer Com
missioner Harding returns from Massa-
chusetts, where he has been spending
his vacation. This work will keep all
three Commissioners busy until the mid
die Of next month, as the law requires
that the estimates must be transmitted
October is.
New school Asked.
With the completion of the original or
rough draft of the estimates, the most
difficult part OF the work will begin, that
Of pruning the total estimates down To
an amount within the limit allowed by
law.
One OF the improvements already re-
quested is the construction of a new
school building in Park View. A sixteen
room building is asked for. For several
years the residents of this section have
endeavored to obtain from Congress
adequate school facilities for their chill
dren, but, though provision has twice
been included in the estimates for Con-
gress for the construction OF building
there, II has failed OF passage.
There are 800 children of school age In
Park View, according to a census car
ried out last year by the Citizens Asso
citation, and their only school facilities
consist of two portable school houses
which provide accommodation for ninety
six pupils. The result is, that most OF
the children are forced to attend the
schools of Petworth and
Congress Heights, while some of them
have to be taken care OF in the city
schools. y
Two years ago the District heads in
cluded provision in their estimates for
an eight-room building, to cost S6s,0 ,0Oc.
Last year, an appropriation Of SlS.O00
was asked for the construction OF a six
teen-room building. John G. McGrath,
president OF the association, with COM |
mittees from the association and from !
the Ladies Auxiliary, appeared before |
Senate and House District Committees in |
support OF the item, which, however. was |
finally stricken out.
Want Streets Improved.
has practically assured the residents Of |
Park View that they expect TO include |
in their estimates an appropriation for |
the construction Of the school building.
The Northeast Washington Citizens |
Association has submitted a list Of /
streets which that organization desires |
to see improved. These include X from
Seventh to eighth; Sixth Street from H \
Street to Florida Avenue; Ninth from
H Street to Florida Avenue; L from
Second eastward; Eleventh from d to H;
Twelfth from c to H: Thirteenth from
z to H; Fifteenth from E to H, and
Tennessee Avenue from B Street north.
Several individual citizens have made /
also, for street improvements, |
which are being considered. w. ]. Friz-
zell wants West Virginia Avenue, north
)I flOrl0a avenue NOTIneast, improved
so as to provide more convenient access
to Trinidad, Ivy City, Montello, and
Langdon. Lee ]. Fealy has requested
hat Otis Street. between Twelfth and
Thirteenth Streets, Brookland, be opened
and improved. Members Of the Rhode
Island Avenue Citizens Association have
asked that swimming poUts be established
IN various sections OF the city. 1t has
also asked that repairs be made to the
Langdon school building. and that ad-
iitional land be purchased for school
Fairgrounds.
Besides the numerous requests for i'm
thaRhave been pouring into
he offices Of the Commissioners through |
he mails, a great amount OF data show
ng the needs of all parts of the Dis
rict has been gathered by these officials
ipon tours of first-hand inspection. With
he results Of these inspection trips and
he cooperation OF the citizens associa-
ions, the Commissioners will have the
reeds Of Washington all tabulated by the
ime they begin work upon their esti-
mates