Evening star., 1922-07-30
%b,0DO NEEDED
FOR D. c. LIGHTING
Estimate of Electrical Engi-
neer Increased $685. 900
for Current Fiscal Year.

An increase Of approximately $751;
900 in the appropriation for lighting
the streets Of the National Capital is
recommended by the electrical depart
ment in the annual estimates Of that
bureau. now before the Commission
ers.
For the current fiscal year the eiec-
trical engineer has a lump sum Of
$4,000 for lighting and maintaining
existing lamp posts. both gas and
electrical. It is reliably learned that
the new budget seeks S475,eo0 for
that purpose. -
This year Congress has allowed $780,
600 as a special allotment for the
erection of new lighting posts
throughout the city. The department
is understood to have recommended
that this amount be raised to sec, 1000
in the budget for the twelve months
beginning July /, 1928.
The lighting system Of the District,
partments. has not been developed in
recent years because of the necessity
for economy in government opera
tions following the war
New Streets Opened.
District officials realize. however,
that to postpone indefinitely the needs
Of the community for serviceable
streets and lights to make them safe
will tend only to multiply those needs.
Hence. they are hopeful that Con-
gress in preparing the next District
bill will authorize appropriations
large enough to begin the task Of
catching up in improvements.
Rows of new houses are continually
being built and these streets must be
lighted. In addition to the new COM
munities that are springing up, city
officials have a program for installing
more modern illumination on some of
the main arteries OF travel.
While the Identification Of the capi-
tai is desirable thing, the city heads
have two practical motives in seeking
to improve the lighting system. First.
to protect the pedestrian who is abroad
at night from the footpad, whose opera
tions are made easy by darkness; second,
to reduce traffic accidents by lighting
the roadways as well as the sidewalks
With the exception Of one or two
small bureaus, all Of the preliminary es-
Inmates were in the hands of the Com
missioners yesterday.
Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, budget off,
Ger for the District. tomorrow will take
his adding machine in hand and hnd out
the total of the requests Submitted by
the various departments.
1t is the consensus Of opinion At the
District building that the estim6kts, as
prepared by bureau chiefs, will aggre-
gate between $29,0o0,0o0 and 31,oo0,-
900.
When Maj. Donovan has arrived at
the total, the figures will be transmitted
to the budget bureau by the Commis-
sioners, probably Tuesday or wednes-
day.
Salary Increases Asked.
But that will be but the beginning of
the Commissioner worries. The re-
port to be given the Treasury at this
time is intended only as a preliminary
statement.
When Commissioner Rudolph returns
from his vacation at the end Of this
week he and his colleagues, Commits
sioners Oyster and Keller. will tackle
the task OF going over the long list Of
items recommended by the department
heads.
It is understood that all branches Of
the District government have included
in their estimates request for increases
in salaries for statutory employees in ac-
cordance with the scale prepared by the
bureau Of efficiency more than year
ago.
The estimates Of approximately ss.-
400. 900 for the school system. do not.
1t is stated, include the cost Of the IN
crease in teachers salaries provided for
in . separate bill pending in Congress.
|If those increases are granted By
Congress they would increass the school
.y,ss,,,>,,t c,osa Is 81. .000. .o0a.