Evening star., 1934-04-11
School and completion Of the new

Total, including water service $50
School and completion Of the new
Calvert Street Bridge.
Severe blows are dealt In the bill to
the Public Utilities Commission and
the Alcohol Beverage Control Board
through reductions in estimates that
will seriously curtail their respective
forces. The salary item Of the COM
mission was cut 40 per cent under
budget estimates, while nearly so per
cent was trimmed from the amount
sought by the Beverage Control Board.
No Reason Given.
No reason was given in the report
for slashing the commissions person.
mel items, but the committee said it
reduced the figures of the Beverage
Control Board on the assumption its
work could be performed with fewer
employees. and suggested police could
do the work Of the present liquor In
spection force in an efficient and salts
factory way.
TlCC llOulC tCACPAioiiC oSA VIC SA-
joyed by certain District officials at
municipal expense also is to be elm
mated in the coming fiscal year. The
committee took the position that all
employees of the District are subject
to call at their private residences at
one time or another and that free
service should not be extended to a
select few in discrimination against
the majority.
For street and road improvement
and repair the committee recon-
mended an appropriation Of s2,518,-
$50, which is S7l6,790 more than the
current appropriation and $48, 400 less
than the budget estimates. The
budget estimates provided that an
estimate of $161 $50 for personal serv-
ices be transferred to the several
items making up the gasoline tax
fund. The committee, however. pro-
posed that this item be carried as a
separate and Independent item in the
bill, but has provided that it shall be
payable from the gasoline tax fund.
MicroanaIyist Out.
The Health Department. under the
bill, will suffer the loss of its micro
analyst, who has been cooperating
with the Police Department in crime
detection work The committee re-
moved the item for his salary on the
ground that his work could be per-
formed by the Bureau of Standards
or the occasional employment of
qualified persons where blood tests or
similar analyses are required.
The bill as it came out of the COM
mittee continued several legislative
restrictions in the current appropri-
alton act. One forbids the Public
Utilities Commission from requiring
taxicabs to install meters and the
other prevents the Highway Depart
ment from operating its asphalt test
ing laboratory.
The self-supporting water depart
ment, however, is provided with funds
for some important main installations.
The new items provide for the laying
of additional mains as follows: 5000
feet of 20-inch water main in Nichols
avenue southeast. from First street
to Blue Plains, $4,000: 5000 feet of
30-inch water main from Pennsyl-
vania avenue southeast, to Eighteenth
street and Minnesota avenue south
east, $4,000; $500 feet Of l6-inch
road northwest, from Upshur street
to Hardwood road, and south in Hare
wood road to Michigan avenue, $46,-
900; and 3,100 feet of 20-inch main
from Thirty-third place and Woodley
road northwest, to Connecticut ave-
nue., in the vicinity of Macomb street,
$25 200.
Committee Report.
The committee said in its report:
"The regular annual appropriations
under which the District of Columbia
government is operating for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1884, amount to
$50 0,375,83 The total budget esti-
mates for the fiscal year 1885 dn-
cluding supplements) amount to $685.
454 4,843.94. The amount recommend
ed by the committee in the accom-
panying bill is $32, ,637 ,082.94, an in
crease of $2,261, ,24894 over the 1884
appropriations and $817,761 less than
the budget estimates. OF the total
increase of 81 ,261 ,24894 recommended
for the fiscal year 1885 over the 1884
appropriation, approximately $l,l60,-
600, Is due to the restoration of one
third of the legislative reduction in
compensation in effect during the
fiscal year 1884, and the remaining
81 ,101 ,248 Is accounted for in general
by the direct appropriation of $568, 900
for school construction In lieu Of the
appropriation of an unexpended bal
ance during the current year and the
inclusion Of a larger number Of con-
struction items than was provided in
the 1884 act. In addition to this ex-
PLANTATION for the increase over 1884,
it must also be remembered that an
indefinite appropriation of not to ex-
ceed $2,135,000 for street and road
improvement and repair and for ex-
tension, improvement and repair Of
the water system was contained in the
current law.
Tax Cut Provision.
"The committee has inserted in the
bill a provision, which, in effect, re-
duces the tax rate on real estate and
tangible personal property from $3.50
to $l.20 per 500 assessed valuation,
and has provided that the tax shall be
levied on the full value, and no less
of such property. This latter provi-
sion is not new as the existing law
under which such property is as
sessed provides the same basis for the
taxation of real estate and tangible
personal property. 1t is estimated
that this reduction in the tax rate
will save the taxpayers of the District
approximately $3.600,000 during the
fiscal year 1885. This substantial re-
duction in taxes can be effected with
out creating a deficit at the end OF
the next fiscal year Q935), provided
there is no great increase over the
amount recommended in the bill as
reported. This statement is support.
ed by the following comparison OF
figures based ON estimated amounts
computed by the auditor for the Dis
trict:
Estimated surplus at end Of fsca
year 1885 on basis Of budget estimates
/ for 1895. S5()54. 4.lo3.