Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-29
$50, 173, 366 DISTRICT BUDGET
!. REPORTED: TAX RATE STANDS

| is providing for positions, instead of
| II, as proposed in the budget, result
| ing in a reduction of $13,S60. The
| committee reports that it sees no
reason why this force should need TO
be expanded. An extra load was i'm
posed this year by the need to renew
automobile operators permits. This
work will have been completed by
July 1. next. The budget includes
| $4,000 for making trar1ic counts and
| surveys. The police are available for
such work and should be so employed
when occasion or the need arises. This
! item has been eliminated. The re-
mainder of the reduction S15.000) has
! to do with the control Of the auto
matte traffic signal lights. The estt-
mates include an item of $4,000 for
| personal services in attendance on
nine separate control stations. Fol
lowing an indication of the commit
tees disapDroval of this item, plan
was evolved for a central control sta
ton. making possible the reduction
of SIS, 900. In connection with the
appropriations for this office, the APP
preparations committee is proposing
to stop the District bearing any ex-
pense in connection with the install
alton of street car loading platforms
and lights employed to distinguish
same; expenses clearly, in the judg-
ment of the committee, which should
be borne by the street car companies.
Public Library.
The budget estimate has been in
creased by $3.50 to permit of the
main Public Library and branch IL
h,~o, .sa Laiv
every week day. For seven years
it has been the practice to close
every Wednesday afternoon from
o'clock to 8 o'clock. A fur
Their increase of $4,000 is proposed
to permit of opening a branch library
in the Eastern High School building,
which was built to accommodate SUCH
a branch.
Register of Wills and Deeds Recorder.
Under the act of April "a 1926
(44 Stat. 1927, the offices of register of
wills and recorder of deeds were trans
ferred from a fee to an appropriation
basis, effective July /, 1927. The APP
preparation for the Office of the register
of wills provides for the purchase of
photostat machine and contemplates
It's employment in recording instru.
ments in that office. The estimate for
the recorder of deeds contemplates
the employment of typewriters to do
the recording on printed forms. AT the
present time book typewriters are
used for recording in bound books.
The change will make 1t possible to
get along with % fewer employees.
The building occupied by this &C
tivity is not suited to the installation
of photostat plant. The proposal
to use printed forms will need to be
authorized. A bill III. r. 15340
emanating from the District commit
tee is now on the calendar, which is
designed to care for this and other
matters pertaining to the Office of the
recorder of deeds.
Under the general heading of con-
tingent and miscellaneous expenses
a reduction of $3.50 is proposed.
Three thousand dollars of this amount
applies to the printing of a list of
awards, previously explained in con-
nection with the purchasing office. A
reduction of $4,000 is proposed, to be
effected by eliminating the item for
advertising notices of taxes in arrears
Under the law it has been the practice
annually to print a book containing
notices of sales of property for over
due taxes. The availability of this
book is advertised in the public press.
1t cost to print the 1926 book $685. a.
and AZ copies were sold at $14.60 each
The appropriations committee under
stands that that Is not an unusual
occurrence. The committee is pro-
posing to deny the use of appropria-
lions for printing this book and to re-
quire that the data used for printers
copy shall be kept on file in the office
of the collector of taxes for public in
spection. 1t would seem entirely feas-
ible to SO systematic the work as to
provide record suitable for public
inspection with but little If any extra
effort. These two reductions total
$4,000. There is another of $3.50 on
account of the national conference Of
commissioners on uniform State laws,
and an increase of 81 900 is proposed
in the postage item to provide for the
demands of the Public Library.
Street improvements.
Under street and road improvement
and repair the committee has exceeded
the budget by $144.500, while the
budget exceeded the current appropri-
atoms by $924,250. For new street
paving items, the bill carries s1191 400
which is $384,600 more than was an.
propriated for the current fiscal wear
and Sal 300 in excess OF the budget
estimates. The bill, in keeping with
the budget, carries $450, 900 along with
new street paving items, which is in
tended solely for resurfacing streets
which have been paved for 80 wears
and more. The committee has adhered
rather closely to the budget paving
items, but has substituted concrete for
sheet asphalt in Q number Of instances.
rms resulted in freeing considerable
sums which have been EMPLOYED in
providing for items not embraced by
the budget, but which the personal
survey by members of the committee
suggested as being of equal import.
ance to the budget items.
For repairing streets, urban and sub.
urban. the bill carries, including the
S450.Oo0 carried along with street paw.
ing items, $1,66000O. This is in agree.
ment with the budget estimate and
exceeds the corresponding current al.
lowances by 1866, 900.
or the total sum proposed under
this head, $1,478,600 will be charged
to the gasoline tax fund. 1t has heen
estimated that there will be ayailahla
in the fund in 1928 the sum of 81. 496.-
1856.
The list of streets under the general
heading OF street improvements" in
the bill is as follows:
For paving Seventh street, Decatur
street to Hamilton street, $4,000
For paving Hamilton street, Seventh
street to Illinois avenue, $4,000.
For paving Eighth street, Emerson
street to Hamilton street, 81 900.
For paving Gallatin street, Fifth
street to Illinois avenue, $15,4O0
street 20 Hamilton street. $500.
For paving Emerson street, Kansas
avenue to Illinois avenue, s., 1900.
For paving Fourth street. buchanan