Evening star., 1922-08-15
CUT OF $3,0D0,0()0
|. HAS BEEN ORDERED
IN D, c, ESTIMATES
Budget Director Lord Ad-
vises Commissioners to Use
Knife on Expenses.
SCHOOLS AND STREET \
REPAIRS ARE AFFECTED
Trimming Process Will Also Be
Applied to Other Items
in Bill.


have to be cut from the estimates OF
/ the District government for the nexi
! fiscal year, it became known today.
/ 1t is understood the Commissioners
were advised by the bureau of the
| budget today that the annual expense
/ account for the National Capital
should not exceed $24,50O.o0O.
| The best information available is
that the estimates in their present
! form aggregate about s27.7o0,o0O
Thus, 1t will be seen, that between
now and September Is, when the book
of estimates goes to the Treasury In
final shape, the city heads will have
to bear heavily on the pruning knife
to keep within the limits laid down
for them.
Two interesting developments re-
suited from conference which the
three Commissioners had today with
Director of the Budget Lord. They
were:
Further Hearing Granted.
Decision by the bureau of the bud
, get to grant the Commissioners a
hearing at the Treasury Department
before the estimates are transmitted
. to Congress will afford them an op-
portunity to explain the items they
will ask for.
| 1t is announced that Capt: r. D.
! Stephens, one of Gen. Lords as
| sistants, has been assigned to work
with the COMMISSIONER on their es.
tin,xtes. He also probab1ys~WflfF6 F6ts
company the city heads on tour OF
inspection of streets and other mu-
nicipal projects for which money Is
to be asked.
II is reported that the limit OF
| $24.500. 900 includes appropriations
for outside agencies, such as public
grounds. Geological Park and rent
commission. which are chargeabie TO
District revenues. These items usual
ly amount to something in the vicin-
ity Of s2,O00.00o. If they aggregate
that much this year 1t will mean that
the actual amount which may be re-
ouested for the city itself will be
around $22,000.O00. which Is practi-
cally the amount allowed by Congress
for the operation of the District gov
ernment for the current fiscal year.
street Repairs Affected.
The Limitation now placed on the
Commissioners is almost certain to
make necessary a deep cut in the
tentative estimates of $1.2o0.0O0 for
new street improvements. 1t Is real
lied at the District building that the
need for street paving in every part
of the city is urgent. but the figure
at first recommended may have to be
cut nearly in half in the interest Of
economy, which is being impressed
upon all the government bureaus by
the budget organization.
IN a.
tive estimates is the $S,400.o00 for the
school system, including new build
ings and sites. This total also Is
likely to be trimmed.
The playground estimates as they
stand at present call for the purchase
nection it was learned today that
three of the locations tentatively
recommended have been turned over
for building operations in the past
few weeks.
This will necessitate the selection
playground department believe that
the beginning of building operations
on the sites referred to emphasizes
the fact that desirable pieces of land
for Fairgrounds in the congested
parts Of the city are rapidly being
used up.
The sewer department is another
agency that has asked for much more
for next year than it received in the
current appropriation bill. The sewer
estimates are said to run we'll over
100000 and no doubt that figure
will have to be pruned.
Salary Increases Doubtful.
The tentative estimates provide ap-
proximately 100000 for, increasing
salaries Of statutory employees Of the
District, whose basic pay has not been
revised in forty years. Whether the
Commissioners will touch this item
in the cutting process was not known
today.
With Commissioner Rudolph, chair
man of the board, back on the job to-
day from his vacation, it is expected
that the city heads will go into ses-
sion tomorrow on the task OF reyjs-
ing the estimates as presented by the
department heads.