Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

was able to find six that the District
purchases lower than the Fedora
Government. The committee, how
ever, listed three items at prices lower
than the District pays for them.
THE general supply committee
buys a number of items included in
this schedule under what is known
as estimated quantities. said Mr.
Hargrove. They get estimates from
the various departments and then
they buy all at once. 1t would not be
practicable for the District to ge,
these estimates.
Paper Clips Purchases.
II picked out one small item ant
that Is the small item Of paper clips
IL the committee were to send arounC
to all departments and ask their
needs fer these paper clips, the Dis
trict would have TO do the same.
1.-The general supply committee
would call on the District Commits
sioners to supply their estimates fol-
paper clips. That would mean thai
we would have to circularize every
department of the District govern
ment, and we have IS departments
Then, furthermore some of these de-
partments have 10 different appro-
priations which will be charged for
paper clips"
Another new provision in the bill
for the manufacture of automobile
identification tags by prison labor al
the District workhouse and reform
atory, was recommended by the
Commissioners to Obviate any delay
in the distribution of the license
plates such as occurred this year. II
also provides funds for small foun-
dry to produce certain cast iron pro-
ducts such as sewer tops, window
bars and CRATES. These two activi-
ties are expected to result in ma
terial saving to the District.
The bill also provides for the
elimination of the publication of the
annual book listing delinquent tax
payers whose properties are to be
sold at public sale. In lieu Of this
book, the tax assessors office will be
required to prepare this Information
In proper shape for inspection OF
interested persons who care to see it
Printing Causes Deficit.
The printing of the delinquent
tax list for taxes in arrears on June
80, 1926, cost the District $7,5S5,44
which was $2,085.44 in excess of the
appropriation for this purpose. A
deficiency appropriation already has
been urged by the Commissioners t.
settle the amount Of this claim.
The report of the subcommittee
hearings In connection with the ap
preparation for the Police Court re
veal that considerable interest was
manifest in the congestion in the Pc
lice Court. with the result that r.. l.
Humphrey, chief deputy clerk was
forced to go into considerable detail
to explain the situation. 1t was
brought out that there were pending
1883 cases awaiting jury trial, last
December 81, as compared with 141 on
the same date Of the preceding year
despite the increase OF two additional
judges.
Mr.. Humphrey pointed out that ths
increase was due to the increased de
mands for jury trials, and that the
court instead Of disposing of less cases
had actually disposed of 832 more than
in 1926.
An analysis by Mr.. Humphrey show
ed that ,606 jury trials were demanded
in 1925, compared with 2,66S last year
and that ,465 were disposed of In
1925. whereas 2,297 were disposed OF
last year. i.
Traffic Decrease.
The appropriation carried in the
bill for the traffic directors office
represents a material decrease under
the amount recommended by the
budget Bureau. While the estimates
called for $123,000, the bill provides
for $50 $50, a decrease of 500, 800. The
principal reductions We're made in the
items for additional employees and for
ID proposed signal operators to op
crate the control stations for the au
tomato traffic lights.
The appropriations committee also
eliminated an item of $1,000, with
which Traffic Director NJ. o. Eidridge
had planned to use for making traffic
counts and surveys. The committee
decided that this was properly func.
.tion for the Police Department. after
Maj. Edwin Is. Hesse has given as.
, surance that his organization could do
that work efficiently.
Instead Of having the traffic lights
operated from 8 different control
points, the committee proposed a
central control station and estimated
that a saving of $4,000 would be
possible. Mr.. Eldridge had asked
! $4,000 to pay the salaries of these
| control operators.
chairman Funk qulZzed Mr.. Ed
| ridge extensively about this $4,000
| salary item and asked him IL 1t were
| not possible to provide some sort OF
a device to replace the men. 'You
have started some traffic. regulations
and lights here" he said, land nov
| you come with charge OF $4,000 TO,
men to press a button in an engine
house TO control these lights"
In connection with the appropria
ton for the traffic directors Office, the
bill prohibits the District from bearing
any expense in connection with the
installation of street car loading plat
forms and the, lights used to distin
guish them. The expense hereafter
will have to be borne entirely by tn,
street car companies.
The first specialized autogiro Of
windmill aircraft. built expressly fo
rotating.wing flight. and not modi
fed aifT,lane has been constructed n