Evening star., 1926-03-10

|
| 1927 would about parallel the current
appropriation. Here. too. the COM
mittee feels that there Is ample Justi'
tflcation for a larger outlay.
! Under this head the budget in
cludes an item Of $150,000 for the pur.
chase Of a site for stables, shops ana
| storerooms Of the Engineer Depart
ment and $2,500 for the preparation
| of plans and estimates of cost for the
construction and equipment of build
ings to be erected thereon. The prop
erty in view, including improvements.
| is assessed at $53,750. The property
| at present occupied Ia q part Of the
| site In South Washington under the
| Jurisdiction of the joint committee on
the library, intended for use by the
Botanic Garden. The committee Is
not aware Of any pressing need to
vacate and certainly Is averse to ap-
propriating $4,000 for site which
has an assessed value OF $53750.
| "An appropriation of $4,000 is car.
| ried. in accordance with the budget
estimate, for making repairs to the
| District fish wharf. Members of the
committee visited the wharf in the
course of an inspection trip and
found a really dangerous situation
prevailing.
TT was developed during the hear
/
| been in inviting proposals for street
| paving work to specify a particular
kind of paving, mostly sheet asphalt
| and concrete, to the exclusion OF all
| other types or compositions, ire
spective Of the fact that other kinds
of paving have been laid in other
communities and after long usage
have demonstrated their durable
| qualities. We may be getting the
i 1t - - Il 1z.f
| favorable prices. but the fact remains
that every responsible party should
have an opportunity to bid on par
| ticu!ar class of paving-that Is,
smooth paving. and brick or block
| paving. and not be excluded by speci-
| flcations barring bids on any other
| than n particular composition. The
| specifications as to performance
| should be as rigid as the authorities
might determine should be necessary
| or desirable. With this thought in
mind the committee has incorporated
provision in the bill requiring that
specifications for street paving work
shall be SO prepared as to permit of
fair and open competition.
Bridges.
| For maintenance and repair of
bridges the committee is proposing
4 IL
which is $39.512 in excess OF the cur
rent appropriations and $4,000 in
excess of the budget estimates. OF
the increase, s14.512 is intended al
most entirely for a larger outlay on
repairs. The remainder ($25,000) has
! been added by the committee for con-
structing highway guards ON the
Calvert Street. Klingle Road and
| Pennsylvania Avenue bridges. with
I Ii r.,- - ,t4x,
| Bile mishaps. The sum provided is
considered adequate by the Engi-
neer Commissioner properly to afford
4 reasonable degree of protection"
| 1.-THE budget estimate on account
| oe all work in connection with sewers
| is S1.447 900, which is $4,000 below
| the current appropriation. charging
| to the latter a supplemental appro-
priation Of s275.7s0 just made avail
able In the first deficiency act, fiscal
year 1926. The extensive building
operations that have been going on
| in the outlying sections OF the city
| have made heavy demands on this
department for main and service sew
| ers. To aid in meeting this situation
! the appropriation proposed is $780,
| 900. as compared with $3S5,800 for
the current year This situation
also will be benefited by the
| appropriation Of 100000 proposed
| by the budget and the committee for
| assessment and permit work, sewers,
which is $t25.000 above the appropri-
| alton carried in the current appro-
! priation act. and which recently was
| augmented by a supplemental ap-
preparation of S125.000.
"The committee Is proposing that
| the appropriations on account of
sewer extensions. including service
sewers. shall be available immediate
| ly.
'It was developed in the considera-
| ton Of the estimates that the rate
| of $3.50 now charged for laying serv-
| Ice sewers represents but half OF the
cost. The committee is proposing
| that the rate shall be increased to
| Collection and Disposal of Refuse.
"For street cleaning and the col
| lection and disposal of refuse the
| budget estimate is 81 442,560, or
| $11 ,420 in excess of the current ap-
preparation. The committee is pro-
posing a further increase Of $4,000
| to provide for the purchase Of shears
for cutting UP into marketable con-
dition the vast accumulation Of tin
cans and other metal containers.
| which have a sale value of approx
| imately cents a pound. The COM
| mittee is advised that the operation
would be self-supporting and would
| give good returns on the inveSt1-
ment. During the fiscal year 1925
| there was received from the sale OF
| by y-products Of garbage $236.292 and
| from the sale of miscellaneous trash
| $102.012.
Public Fairgrounds.
( "rha hudeet estimates on account
| Of public Fairgrounds. apart from
| funds on account Of the maintenance.
| equipment and improvement or
| school yards for play purposes under
the public schools Ia $162,sO5. or
$16.925 over the current appropria-
| tions. The committee is proposing
! their budget estimate. There are rs
nlaysrounds. s play stations and 3
bathing pools. apart from 8 pools on
| playground sites. supported by these
Appropriations. which also include
provision for supervision, equipment
and supplies on account of school
| Fairgrounds which are kept open
| during the Summer months and the
larger schools yards which are kept
open daily after school during the
school term. A list of the existing
| Fairgrounds will be found In the
hearings on page 2%6. ,-
The major portion Of the increase
over the current appropriation fs re-
ouired to provide attendance on ana
take care Of three new Fairgrounds
| acquired by the National Capital
Park Commission and turned over to
the municipal authorities. including
two guards for the supervision Of a
swimming pool which the Chevy
Chase Recreation League has offered
to construct on the new Chevy Chase
| nIavRround site conditional upon the
District providing for the matnte-
nance and supervision thereof.
Electrical Department.