Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-30
D. c. HEADS PLAN
THOROUGH STUDY
OF SCHOOL NEEDS
Commissioners Have Re-
served 8 Days for Review of
Estimates in 1891 Budget.
DR., BALL0U TO BE ASKED
TO ATTEND CONFERENCES
Action Is Deferred Until Requests
of Other Departments Have
Been Passed.

With the tentative 1891 financial
budget for the District nearly one-thlrd
completed. the Commissioners an
nounced today that they intend to give
the estimated needs of the public schools
more consideration than ever before.
On the calendar of budget meetings
the Commissioners have reserved three
full DAYS for a painstaking and thor
ough review of the school estimates.
DR.. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent
of schools. and members of the board
of education, will be invited TO SIT
with the Commissioners ano go over Inc
school items in detail.
Conferences Deferred.
The conferences on the school esti-
mates have been deferred. however
until the requests OF virtually ali otner
municipal departments have been
nassed upon and assigned to the ten
tstive budget. the dates for the meet
ings having been fixed as June 10, IL
and IL.
The decision to devote three full days
TO consideration of the needs of the
schools is the result of recent agitation
to have the Commissioners adopt a
'hands off, policy with respect to the
school estimates and send them to the
Budget Bureau without modification.
While the Commissioners declined to
agree to such procedure, on the
theory that Congress gave them au-
ti1ority to pass upon the financial re-
quests of all municipal departments and
expects them to do so, the new plan
Of handling the school estimates is in
effect form of compromise.
Ask for S13,724,500.
The schools have asked for s13,-
f24,50 in the 1881 fiscal year, an in
crease of S1,820,902 over the appropria-
ton provided for the coming fiscal year
beginning July /. There is little doubt
that the Commissioners will find it
necessary to trim the 1881 school fig
ure, as proportionate reductions are
being made in the estimates of all other
District departments, but the amount
to be allocated to the schools has not
vet been determined and probably will
not be fixed until the three-day con-
ference between the Commissioners and
school officials.
The estimates of the schools always
have received more consideration from
the Commissioners than those of other
departments due primarily to the fact
that the school needs usually make up
one.third of the total municipal budget,
but the practice in the past has been to
review the school requests in one day.
When reductions were deemed neces-
sary, the estimates were returned to
the school board with instructions to
make cuts that would keep the figure
within q prescribed limit the Commits
sioners feeling that school officials. be-
ing more familiar with the needs of the
system. could trim where it would have
the least effect
This year. however, the reduction
will be made in the presence of the
school oficials and with their advice.
Bulk Of Work Remains.
Two weeks Of budget making have
taken the Commissioners through the
estimates of more than a score of the
municipal departments, but those OF
the major departments are yet to be
considered. Aside from the schools
these include the Board of Public We'll
fare and the Police and Fire Depart
nlents
The public welfare items will be re.
viewed Monday. when the Commission
ers resume the budget-making task
These are expected to be disposed of ir
one session, but the Commissioners vii
not hold another budget meeting unit
the school estima ties are taken up 9
week later. Public hearings by the ION.
ing commission and other important
municipal activities next week will pre-
clude budget sessions in that period.
welfare Items $5,9l4,IOO.
The public welfare items total S..
Ai4.100. These include the estimates o.
the Board of Public Welfare, the pena
institutions, hospitals and training
schools.
The respite in the budget nrakini
activities of the Commissioners mex
week will give the Citizens Advisor,
Council. the Washington Chamber o
Commerce and the Board of Trade ar
opportunity to submit their bulge
recommendations before the school es
Inmates are taken under consideration
These organizations have been Loaned
complete, detailed copy Of the ap
preparation requests of the department
tai heads, and committee Of each !
studying the requests with a view II
recommending to the Commissioner
how much the 1881 budget should con
tain as we'll as the tax rate that shoul'
prevail in that year.
With the exception of the advisor,
council none of the organizations ha
indicated the budget limitation it viii
recommend. The council is said to b
considering a budget totaling between
$50,000,000 and S5l 100000. predicate
on continuance of the existing ia
levy of $l.70.
The Commissioners have tentativel
decided on a total budget of $48, 900 ,00(
which Daniel J. Donovan. auditor an
budget officer, has advised them. ca
be supported by the existing tax rat
and generous use of the Surplu
revenues to tae credit of the Distric
in the United States Treasury.
TWO BOYS, IL. ARRESTED