Evening star., 1923-09-23
GROWTH AND COSTS
i EXPENSIVE TO D. c.
Need of So, GOO 900 for
Next Year Explained by
1923 Comparisons.
.y JEREMIAH oLEARy.

why Is the District government so
Tar behind in its program of munich
pal work that IL has become neces-
sary TO ask the budget bureau for
$4,000. 900 for the next fiscal year?
The answer to this question thai
first enters the mind of the average
Washingtonian is that the rapid
growth of the city. bringing with 1t
scores Of new streets and hundreds
of new houses. is the reason.
That answer in itself would be cor
rect But search of records at the
District building yesterday revealed
that increased costs Of doing such
work as street paving, water mains
and sewer construction Is just a.
large a factor.
Figures tucked away in the file
cases of the municipal departments
tell a story of costs that have mount
ed during the past ten years faster
than Congress- has raised approprih-
tions.
District officials declared yesterday
that 1t takes just about double the
amount of money to do given job
today that was required in 1913, be-
fore the European war.
Striking Instances.
Here are a just a few striking
instances that will serve to illustrate
why every department and bureau of
the city government is pleading for
In the highway department. En-
giner c. Z. Hunt, who strives 10
make inadequate allotments so as
far as they will, had in 1913, S2lh,-
that year he could lay yard OF
asphalt for SLIT, or he could put
down concrete street for 81 cents
Last year it cost S3.I1 to lay as
Phalt he got for sl.77 ten years age; 6, :
ay HITHHI
has risen TO s1.S7 yard.
The appropriation for paving new
streets last year-and here ls the
point of the story--was $2S5,SoO'
rent appropriation act by allowing
$5E3300 for new streeta, but even
that sum will just about do what
s2a5.000 did In 1913. when increased
costs are considered.
Next take tie situation confronting
]. b Gordon. sanitary engineer. His
records show that the unit cost Of
SEWER construction has advanced 1Sl
per cent, while the appropriation for
thFs purpose has gone UP only III per
cent
$32o eco for Sewers in 1913.
in 1918 the sum for sewer construc-
ton, exclusive OF maintenance, was
$3Ro.000 Last year IL had only ad-
va.Dced TO S432, 900. Hare again Con-
gneas showed more generosity this
year by appropriattng $4,000. But.
as in the case OF highways. the ap-
preparation is still tagging in it's race
with tie unit cost of work.
The water department, commanded
by Supt. ]. S. Garland. furnishes All
even, more striking picture of the bat
tie OF funds versus costs.
In'1e13 the water department spent
$2l2, 2,479.4S for extensions to mains
and bad $4,000 left over.
In the fiscal year 1923 the depart
ment was able to spend only S150.00o,
which left many urgent projects un-
touched. The department was thus
limited last year despite the fact that
the cost of laying a foot of S-inch water
main last year was s2.57 as compared
with Sl.1S in 1918.
These are not the only branches of
the municipal government in which
costs keep ahead of funds, but they
serve to show why scores of new
houses face unpnved streets and why
other dwellings must wait for long
periods of time to get sewer and water
facilities. -
costs of doing work so far to-
ward explaining the need for regular
estimates for next year of $25.0O0.0 900
and supplemental requests amounting
to $1,o00,000. I -