Evening star., 1924-08-13
Commissioners Must Trim
Original Figure by Approx
mateIy S. 1000, 1000.
BUDGET STILL LARGEST
EVER SENT TO CONGRESS
New Salary Scale Accounts for
$2,800,00O of Increase-Schools
Also Favored.

A limit Of s31.551.5o5 has been
placed on the estimates of the Dis
trict government for the next fiscal
year, Brig. Gen. H. NJ. Lord, director
of the budget, notified the Commits
sioners today.
Although this will necessitate the
elimination of nearly $1,000. 900 from
the total of s36,50o,ooo requested by
the city heads, it assures at the same
time the largest budget ever sent to
Congress for the municipality.
The original limitation placed on
District estimates last year was $25,-
144,SS2, showing that despite the cut
ting that will have to be done, the
Budget Bureau has allowed nearly
$4,000, 900 more than approved year
ago.
Permits Supplemental Items.
The letter received today from the
Budget Bureau states that the Com
missioners again will be permitted TO
submit on a supplemental list i'm
portant items that will have to be
omitted in bringing the estimates
down to the limit established.
Last year the city heads submitted
a supplemental list aggregating close
to $1,000, 900 in addition to the
regular estimates of $25,144,Ss2.
After extensive hearings at the
Budget Bureau some of these supple
mentals were included.
The final figure transmitted to
Congress by the budget office for the
District of Columbia last December
was s26,s79,S12.
New Salaries Factor.
OF the five million dollar increase
in the amount allowed this year,
approximately s2,s0O,000 may be said
to represent increases in salaries
that have been granted all District
employees since last year.
This means that. exclusive of in
creased salaries for personnel, the
new budget will carry about $4,000
600 more than was allowed last year
for various municipal improvements.
AS soon as Commissioner Rudolph.
chairman of the board. returns from
his vacation the Commissioners, in
consultation with Auditor Daniel J.
Donovan, will begin the task of
going through their original figures
to bring the total down to the limit
fixed.
New Schools Large Item.
It is virtually certain that they
will take advantage of the privilege
of preparing a supplemental list Of
the most important sums slashed from
the regular estimates.
Probably the largest single item
in the budget is that for the main
tenance of the public school system
and the erection of new school build
ings. This subhead is said to total
more than s10,000,000 at the present
time.
Another large individual item II
the original estimates is for the con-
tinuation of work on the new water
conduit from Great Falls. 1t is re-
ported the Commissioners asked for
close to s2,500,000 for that essential
project.
ID. &. Heads to Decide.
1t is understood the Budget Bureau
has not indicated to the Commission
ers which classes of work they think
should be curtailed in reducing the
budget, and the Commissioners them
selves will not make up their minds
until they consider the relative i'm
portance of the various sums that
make up the original estimates.
After the estimates have been
brought down to the limit fixed today,
hearings probably will be held, as
last year, before a committee of
Budget Bureau officials, after which
that committee will determine upon
the final amount to be transmitted
to Congress in December.