Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
Opening of Fiscal Period
Wednesday Will Aid
Many Projects.
MORE THAN 13 MILLION
WILL GO TO SCHOOLS
Falling Tax Receipts Are Blamed
for Increasing Losses Shown
in Surplus Reserve.

On the threshold of a new fiscal
year, District officials yesterday made
plans to dip into the replenished Golfers
that it brings and spend some of the
S45, 672,838 Congress appropriated for
the operation and maintenance Of the
municipal Government through an
other 12-month period.
The 1882 fiscal year begins Wedne5-
day, making available large sums for
new public Improvements, and the COM
pletion OF projects started within the
last year. Improved streets, recon-
structed bridges, new schools and cor
structicn of the first unit of the Mu-
| nicipal Center are among the outstand-
ing projects provided in the appropria-
ton act
The largest single slice OF the ap-
preparation. more than SIS 900. 900. will
go to the public schools The Highway
Department will receive nearly $4,000
600, while the Police and Fire Depart
ments will share s6.o00,0 900, the former
taking s3,488,90o and the latter 81
3d.. 800.
Surplus Reserve Depleted.
The District will go into the new
! fiscal year with its surplus reserve badly
depleted, due to the large appropriations
in 1880 and 1881, coupled with falling
tax receipts this year owing to the
economic situation. The last statistics
| compiled by Maj. Daniel j. Donovan.
! auditor and budget officer, submitted
to the Commissioners at a conference
with newspaper men when the 1888
budget was under consideration, showed
the surplus fund at the close of the
| current fiscal year Tuesday would ap-
| proXlmate 1852 ,595, or nearly $1,000
| 600 under the surplus reserve at the
| end Of the 1880 fiscal year
In other words, the District will
have in reserve about $500, 900 in excess
| OF the cash working capital fund which
| the law requires to be kept at $1,000
! 600. The 1882 appropriation, however.
! will impair this fund to the extent of
approximately 81 100000 so at the close
OF the 1892 fiscal year. the balance will
| nave been reduced to 1882 ,064. or ST.
! $4,000 under the required working
capital fund.
Large Slice for Buildings.
Approximately s12.5O0.oo0 of the,
s45,672.838 appropriation for the com
| ing fiscal year will be devoted to capt.
tai eXpenses-new buildings. new street
work and the like, and the balance
! will go to operating expenses. This is
| about s2,500,000 less than was spent
Tor the same purpose in the current
| fiscal year.
| The principal and most costly prof.
| ect provided in the new appropriation
act is the Courts Building for the
! Municipal center area For beginning
construction Of this building, sl,500.-
| 600 has been allowed. The total cost,
| however, will amount to $4,000, 900.
The highway department has plan
ned more than so important surfacing,
resurfacing and grading projects with
| the funds it is to receive. It also will
! get $250,000 to complete the new Con-
necticut Avenue Bridge over Klinsle
| Valley, funds for the preparation of
plans for new bridges to replace the
P Street and Calvert Street Bridges
over Rock Creek and the Benning
Bridge over the Anacostia River.
OF the public school building prof.
ects, an item of 100000 for continu-
ing construction of the new Roosevelt
High School, is the largest.
Tax Rate Unchanged.
! The other large items are $500 900
| for completing construction of the
Brown Junior High School. 5000 600
| for beginning construction OF a junior
| high school in the Brookland- Wood
ridge section. and 100000 for begin
ming construction of a new building for
the Jefferson Junior High School.
Other building projects to be under
| TAKEN with the new appropriations in
clude new fire house in the vicinity
Of Thirteenth and K streets, to house
Engine Company No. 16 now located
on D street. near Twelfth street, and
Truck Company No. 8, at Fourteenth
street and Ohio avenue. These two
companies. located in the Federal tri-
angle, are to be forced out OF their
present quarters by the Government
building program.
The tax rate for 1882 was officially
fixed at $1.70 per 500 assessed Valua-
ton of property by the District Com
miSsioners yesterday. Although formal
action was not taken until yesterday,
the question had been decided for
some months, and the 1882 appropria-
ton act, passed at the last session of
Congress, was built around that as
sumption.
The rate is the same as that in
effect for the current year. It will be
effective on tax bills levied next Sep
TENDER and in March, 1882, on real
and personal property.