Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-01
MENT SHAKEN BY ATTACKS ON POLICE DEPARTMENT
ACHIEVEMENTS MININ1ZED
BYPROBES AND CRITICISM
Two High Officials Resign and Two
Others Now Face Trial-Budget and
Water in Spotlight.

against him on the basis of a letter he
wrote to Maj. Pratt in explanation of
a published threat he made to investi-
| gate the United States attorneys office
for failure to prosecute an investment
broker arrested more than a year ago.
Doyle was Aliens commanding officer
! and for defending the officer the cap
tain also cited before the Police Trial
Board to answer a charge of insubor-
| dination. The board found Allen guilty
and sentenced him to dismissal He
made vigorous fight to prevent the
| imposition of the sentence, but the Com
misSioners upheld the Trial Board
| findings.
Aside from the turmoil in the Police
| Department, 1929 was year of several
noteworthy achievements in the District
| government. Outstanding was the I'M
| precedented budget framed by the
| Commissioners for the coming fiscal
| yea- which the Bureau of the Budget
! approved and transmitted to Congress
This budget, calling for appropriations
| totaling S47,8S0, 228, is the largest ever
submitted for the District But even
more significant is the fact that 1t rep
resents a change in the policy of the
Budget Bureau of keeping the budgetary
estimates of the Commissioners within
previously determined ALLEGATION.
| The $47,880,228 total exceeded by
.
bureau in July, and is but $3.50, $40
short of the amount sought by the Com
l. -sioners in the final estimates. It
will provide a number of important
public improvements and the compile
ton of some of those started this year.
Five-Year Water Program.
In addition to the budget, water held
the spotlight of public attention for
| considerable time, following disclosures
that nearly one-third of Washingtons
total supply was wasted and unac-
counted for, and that nearly $4,000
water meters were either defective or
functioning improperly.
AS an outgrowth of these disclosures,
the water department in conjunction
with the office of the United States
engineer of the District, which has
supervision over the supply system,
worked out a dve-year program for
modernization of both the supply and
distribution systems. The budget for
the 1881 fiscal year beginning July /,
carries appropriations for beginning this
program.
The program contemplates the ulti-
mate elimination of all of the defective
meters, and an exhaustive survey to
determine the cause of the enormous
water waste and its elimination as well
as improvements in mains and increased
pumping facilities. Indications are,
however that District officials may find
it necessary to increase water rates to
raise sufficient revenue to finance the
| program, since the water department
will be required. on the basis Of present
plans, to carry out the improvements
| with funds 1t receives from the sale OF
water.
Start Acquisition Of Site.
From the standpoint of the District
government itself, the most important
project undertaken during the year was
the actual start on acquisition OF
site for the municipal center, designed
to concentrate all municipal agencies in
one area-the four squares bounded by
Pennsylvania avenue on the south,
Indiana and Louisiana avenues on the
north, Third street on the east and
Sixth street on the west.
With an initial appropriation of
$3,000,000 for purchase of the four
squares, a committee Of District of1-
Gals has already acquired large por-
ton of the property, spending approx
mately $2,500,000. Estimates for the
coming fiscal year contain an item of
| $4,000, 900 to complete the purchase, In
| addition to provision for the develop
ment of plans for the buildings to be
! located in the center.
Noteworthy also among the achieve
ments during the year was the unpre-
| cedented record established by the
surface division of the highway depart
ment in paving, resurfacing and other
wise improving about 33 miles OF high
ways and suburban roads.
Personnel Changes Few.
Changes in personnel in all branches
of the District government were COM
paratively few in 1929. The Board Of
Commissioners, composed of Proctor L.
Dougherty, Sidney F. Taliaferro and
Col. william B. Ladue, remained intact
throughout the year. The terms Of
Commissioners Dougherty and ITALIA
ferro expire in February, however.
The principal changes were In the
engineering department and the cor
poration counselS Office. Capt. Hugh
Dram Of the Engineer Corps came into
the District service as an Assistant En-
gineer Commissioner to fill vacancy
created by the appointment of Capt.
H. C. Whitehurst as chief engineer and
co-ordinator of the engineering de-
partment, a new position in the Dis
trict government. In the corporation
counsers Office, Ringgold Hart, principal
assistant to Corporation Counsel Will
liam w. Bride, resigned to resume his
private practice Of law and was replaced
by Vernon L. West, a prominent Wash
ington attorney.