Evening star., 1924-07-12
.S1Q,0)Q,O]O PRUNED
BY COMMISSIONERS
FROM D. c. BUDGET
Estimates Now Go to Gen.
Lord-S35, 900, 900 for
Next Fiscal Period.
TOTAL 100000 MORE
THAN PRESENT YEARS
Fund for Contagious Disease Build
ing at Gallinger Hospital Is
Eliminated.

In bringing the 1925-26 budget down
to what they believe to be a reason
able total, the District Commission
ers have had to cut more than So
000,000 from the aggregate sum rec
commended to them by department
chiefs, it was reported today
While the city heads are not divulg-
ing the results of their six days of
intensive work, it is understood that
even after careful pruning the esti
mates will total substantially more
than s35,0O0,O00.
Heretofore the general belief has
prevailed that the original recon-
mendations of bureau heads amounted
to about s40,000,OO which would
have necessitated a slasning of only
S5.000,000. 1t is now learned, how
ever, that the aggregate of all prof.
ects originally laid before them a
and s50,00000O
This~gives some idea of the task the
Commissioners have had to face in
deciding the relative Importance of
various items in order to eliminate
enough to get the total figure down
to few hundred thousand dollars
more than s35,O00,00O.
$3.OOO,OOO Over Last Year.
While this preliminary set of esti-
mates is still 100000 higher than
the budget of s32,500,00O submitted a
year ago, the Commissioners are re-
ported to be of the opinion that it is
not an unreasonable amount when al
lowance is made for the increases in
pay granted to all city employees since
the last budget was prepared
Those pay increases amount to about
s3,000,000, SO that when allowance is
made for them in the new budget the
total amount for municipal improve
ments is not likely to be greater than
was asked for last year.
The Commissioners are in session
today with officials of the board of
education for the purpose of eliminat-
ing approximately $2.500,0eo from the
school estimates for next year. This
VIII still leave $4,000, 900 for schools
or slightly less than one-third of tho
entire budget. 1t is estimated thar
this reduction will leave about So ooo
600 in the school estimates for bui,d-
ings and sites.
Pension Up to Budget Bureau
1t is reported that when the Com
rnissioners went into session yester-
DAY afternoon after five days of cut
tlns, they still had a budget of about
$5S,oQo,0o0 and had to make further
slashes to get it down to betweep
55,OOO.O00 and s36.000,0OO.
After today's session the couuts
sloners VIII be through with the
tedious task of estimating for several
weeks. The next step will be for
Auditor Donovan to transmit to the
budget bureau by Tuesday a letter
giving the totals asked for under
each branch of the service
Ihe Commissioners then will rest
on their oars until they get some in
dlcation as to whether the budget
bureau will require further reduc-
tons 1t is understood the CITY IA
theirs hope the budget bureau will not
order further curtailment
Hospital Fund Cut OFF.
In further reducing the total yester-
day. 1t became necessary to strike out
provision for the erection of a con-
tagious disease building for the
health department on the Gallinger
Hospital reservation.
1t probably will be a month before
the budget bureau holds hearings on
the. new estimates.
One reason why the original sue-
gestions of department heads run so
much above what the Commissioners
are in a position. to approve is be-
cause each bureau chief sees so many
worthy and necessary projects to be
completed in his particular branch of
the service. 1t is felt that there would
be no money wasted if they were all
carried out, but the Commissioners
each year must consider the require
ments of the municipal government
as whole and keep the question of
revenue in mind in reducing the fig
ures of their subordinates.