Evening star., 1922-09-17
Commissioners Send Letter
With Supplemental Esti-
mates of $6,361,520.
ORIGINAL LIMIT BARELY
ENOUGH TO KEEP ORDER
Health of Public Cannot Be Safe-
guarded Unless Additional
Sum Granted.

! Declaring that washington IS go
ing backward instead of progressing
in municipal improvements. the Com
| missioners yesterday afternoon ad-
! dressed a strong protest to Budget
| Director Lord against the limitation
| of s24.500,00 placed on next years
estimates
! The exact amount of the regular
estimates is given in the letter for the
1 first time as s24532.515. The sup
| Elemental estimates, which Gen. Lord
informed the Commissioners they
! might submit for his consideration.
/ amount to s6,a61 $50
/ This makes the total estimates for
next year now before the budget bu-
| reau s30,ssi,035. The letter was pre-
| pared by Daniel J. Donovan, budget
officer for the District, and indorsea
! by the Commissioners.
The first part of the letter paints a
graphic picture Of the serious effect
! on the city of continuing the policy
+, of slashing its annual appropriation
(; bills
: IT tells Of school children who
( must go to school only part of the
/ day because there is not enough
! room. 1t calls attention to row afte''
! row of houses fronting on unpared
streets. of new dwellings deprived a.
| sewer and water connections bec."s.
of inadequate appropriations.
| Picture Gloomy One.
! After depicting these conditions.
Sa1l
! that if he will allow the full amount
! of s30.s94,035 asked for "it will no
longer he necessary to resort to the
+; humiliating expedient of denying
these necessities to thosss sSho have a
right to demand them"
| a deplorable fact revealed in the
/ letter Is that the number of privies
! in the District has increased Is per
! cent during the past year. because
! the engineer department has not been
| able, with present appropriations, TO
, supply sewer and water service to
all new houses.
! In order to keep the regular esti-
mates within the limit fixed, the
! amount for street paving had to be
| cut to $4,000. and for new school
buildings, soUo,ooo.
| 1t is understood that the supple
! mental estimates include approx
mateIy S1,l00,000 for street paving
and about 100000 for the school
building program. The Commission
| ers expect to visit the budget bureau
| within the next few weeks to present
| oral arguments in support of the sup
| Elemental estimates they have sub
| mitted. 1t also is likely that officials
! Of the budget Office will make tours
of the city to verify the statement of
| conditions as presented by the city
, heads.
Urge Approval of Both.
! Maj. Donovan's letter to the budget
| bureau follows:
| ITO the Director. Bureau of the
Budget:
| The Commissioners OF the District
of Columbia direct me to transmit
herewith estimates of appropriations
of the District for the fiscal year to
end June 80. 1924.
| I'm your letter of August IL, 1922,
you informed the Commissioners that
maximum total of s24.532,5l5 had
| been allocated to the District. which
amount the estimates could not ex-
| ceed. You further informed them
! that If such sum was not sufficient to
meet absolutely necessary require
ments they could submit a supple
mental statement showing the addi-
| tional amounts required.
In compliance with your instruc-
! tions the Commissioners have limited
their estimates proper TO s24.532.
SIS, but they also transmit a series
of supplemental estimates amounting
to $6,361, $40. Both sets of estimates
aggregate s30,S94.035. which amount
the Commissioners earnestly urge be
included in the complete budget to be
submitted by your bureau to Con
gress.
Gives Per Cent Figures.
THE estimates totaling s24,532.5f5
are classified as follows:
! Chareeable 60 per cent to the
! revenues of the District OF Co.
! lumb.a and 40 per cent TO the
| revenues Of the United States So, ,O94, ,G52 No
I Chargeable to the revenues Of the
water department. 92J, ,02ooO
Permanent and indefinite appro-
| priations chargeable wholly to
the revenues Of the District Of
| Columbia ............... 5OOOOOU
4, Trust and special funds.......... 1,462, $500
! "Of the total sum of S24,532515, the
District Of Columbia would be
! chargeable with $13.556,791.20. the
United States with sS.S37. .s60.S0: the
revenues Of the water department. no
part of which is paid by the United
States, with $s25,020. and trust and
! special funds (no part Of which is
paid by the United States) of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, with S1,20S.S4S. OF
| the total budget the United States,
under existing law, would be respon-
sible for only 36 per cent.
Ask "Reasenable Conditions.-
with every desire loyalty to CO.
operate with you and to conform to
the desire of the President for the
utmost economy. the Commissioners
feel that certain facts should be
called to your attention and that