Evening star., 1917-12-03
Higher Salaries Provided.

Higher Salaries Provided.
This year the District Commissioners
have spread the proposed increases
| over wide field, providing for the in
crease of hundreds of salaries. especi-
ally to employees receiving very low
salaries and wages. Comparatively few
very large new items are to be found
In the bill. Every section of the city
tions.
The District Commissioners have esti-
mated that the net revenues of the Dis
trict available for haH-and-half appropri-
ations, to which an equal amount is added
by the federal government will amount to
So 106 ,255.50. When the federal gov
ernments share is added to this a sum
OF SlS.2l2.511 is available for District
a appropriations under the half-and-half
plan. From this the Commissioners
have deducted $1.112.SSO, which is the
total Of estimates for the District to
be carried in the Legislative and the
leaves balance Of $1,000. .6s1 avaiia-
BILE for estimates to be submitted by
the Commissioners. And this Is the
sum for which they have estimated,
less ss,6ol.01, the balance still remain
ing.
In the total of s1s.411.124.ss to be ex-
pended for the District are included
$41l,2s5 for the water service and
ss0s.s00 for the permanent annual ap-
propriations for the District.
The appropriations for water service
will be repaid from the charges made
for the water service.
In their estimates the Commissioners
have dealt literally with the schools,
providing for 147 additional teachers
and for increased pay for many of the
principals and instructors. They have
also provided S1579aS3 for the con-
pared with $753.O00 carried for this
purpose in the last appropriation act.
Farmers Market Desired,
The Commissioners have turned their
attention to the marketing question in
the hope of making it possible for
Washingtonians to obtain food prod
ucts with as few middlemen as possi-
BILE between the producers and the con-
sumcrs. They have asked for s4S,5oo
for the construction of a farmers re-
tail market in Louisiana avenue be-
tween 9th and 10th streets northwest
and for many other improvements in
municipal markets.
They reckon with the war situation
when they ask for appropriations for
new guards for the Washington aque-
duct. filtration plant, bridges and
other points at which the enemy might
seek to injure the capital.
There is a marked decrease in the
sums asked for the District National
Guard, owing to the fact that for the
most part the guard has been MASTER
ed into the federal service. and Is in
training in this country and In France.
The Commissioners seek the estab-
lishment of a child welfare bureau, and
for this purpose they ask an initial
appropriation of s17.500. They have
mates for the hospitals and for chari-
ties For the construction of the
psycopathic group of buildings ct the
Gallinger Municipal Hospital they ask
$3.50, $50.
The estimates for the police and fire
departments include many increases in
personnel, particularly in the fire de-
partment, and provide many improve
ments in the way Of buildings and ap-
psratus.
The Commissioners propose the erec-
ton of a branch of the Public Library
in the southeast section of the city and
recommend that they be authorized to
accept $4,000 for that purpose from
Andrew Carnegie. who donated the fund
for the Public Library, and also that
they be authorized to accept a site for
the branch library. Before the library
is opened, however. they stipulate that
Congress must provide for its mainte-
nance on the half-and-half plan, as in
the case of the main library.
The only property which the Commits
sioners propose in their estimates to
take over for park purposes is the land
in Kfingle valley from Woodley road to
the Geological Park. They estimate
500 for the purchase of this prop
erty.
Improvements to Streets.
Improvement of many streets and
| avenues and suburban roads is provided
/ for in the estimates The total for sub
| urban roads is fixed at S554,00 an in
/ crease of s13s.1o0 over the present law
The estimates are remarkably free /of
new legislative proposals. One of the
| few inserted calls for a probationary
system for men entering the police
force A man taken on the force, must
serve a probationary period and must
make good in that period before he can
become a regular member of the force.
The Commissioners propose an appro-
priation of $4,000 for site for sewage
/ treatment for sewage which now
goes raw from the District into the
Potomac river near Magazine Point.
| Va They also propose contracts for
! the disposal of garbage and trash COW
ering a period of not more than ten
+, years, with the proviso that the plants
| and stations shall be established on
government property and that the Dis
| trict shall become the owner of the
plants and stations at the expiration
| of the contracts.
Other improvements which are In
Continued on Eleventh Paee.) :.