Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-21
Hold Project Would Not BE
Jeopardized by Move, as
$4,000, 900 Is Available.
COMMISSIONERS PLAN
TO MAKE LUMP CUT
Estimates Carry $500, 900 for Courts
Building, Which Will Not
Be Pared.

The reduction of nearly 50 900 900 in
the Districts financial budget for the
1881 fiscal year to bring it down to the
$4,000, 900 ALLEGATION of the Bureau Of
the Budget probably will not affect any
of the various municipal departments,
1t was learned at the District Building
today as the Commissioners prepared to
undertake the pruning process.
The Commissioners, it was indicated,
plan to make the cut where it will hurt
the least, and this can be done only by
the elimination of a large lump-sum
item. While no intimation was given as
to what lump-sum item is in mind, it is
believed that the $4,000, 900 for complet-
ing the purchase Of the municipal site is
the one under consideration.
Would Not Jeopardize Center.
The shunting of the 100000
municipal center item, or the major
portion of it, to the supplemental esti-
mates which the Budget Bureau said
the Commissioners could submit in adj
dition to the regular budget, 1t was
pointed out. would in no wise jeopardize
the municipal center project, since the
$4,000, 900 already appropriated for the
land will enable the acquisition of
enough property for the first unit to be
erected-the courts building. which will
house the police, juvenile and municipal
courts and the Office of the recorder
OF deeds. The regular estimates carry
an item of 100000 for beginning the
construction of this building and there
is no intention of the Commissioners
to remove this when the pairing begins.
BY shifting the $4,000 900 land item to
the supplemental estimates there is a
possibility that delay might result in
acquiring the entire four square area
selected as the center site, but District
officials are represented as feeling that
1t would not be serious, and they would
rather have such situation than cut
the estimates of the department heads,
Which already have been reduced to the
minimum.
Congress Recognizes Need.
AS Congress has recognized the need
OF the municipal center and provided
$1,000 900 to acquire a portion of the
site, there is feeling at the District
Building that it would not refuse to ap-
propriate the additional $4,000, 900 for
purchasing the remainder of the prop
erty even though the item should go to
the Capitol in the form of a supple
mental estimate.
Aside from obviating a reduction in
the estimates Of the department heads,
the transfer of the municipal center
land item to the supplemental estimates
would make II necessary to use por-
ton Of the accumulated surplus rev.
enues to the credit of the District in
the Federal Treasury. If left in the
budget when it is cut to S46 ,000. 900, it
was explained, the surplus would re-
main untouched, as Maj. Daniel j.
Donovan, auditor and budget officer,
has estimated that the revenue avail
able for the 1891 fiscal year will sup.
port a $4,000, 900 budget.
There is little likelihood that definite
steps to reduce the budget will be taken
until early next month, when Commits
sioner Proctor l.. Dougherty has re-
turned from his vacation. The budget
in its final form is not due at the Bud
get Bureau until September Is, and the
Commissioners will have nearly two
weeks after Mr.. Dougherty comes back
to lop off the 100000, as decreed by
the Budget Bureau.