Evening star., 1934-01-17
DISTRICT BUILDING
PURCHASE BY j. S.
BUDGET PROPOSAL
Fund, Probably $4,000, 900,
Held Boost for Municipal
Center Project.
$1,000, 900 FOR START
OF OPERATIONS URGED
Separate Supplemental Estimate
Outcome of Series of Conferences
Of District Officials.

A proposal for purchase of the Dis
tict Building by the Federal Govern
ment at a cost to be mutually agreed
upon, probably $4,000, 900, will be for
warded to the Budget Bureau by the
Commissioners, with a separate supple
mental estimate proposing use OF ST.
100000 during the next fiscal year to
begin construction Of the Municipal
Center, it was announced today by
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen.
Under the new plan for proposed
means of financing the building of the
first unit of the costly Municipal Cen
ter, as planned by Congress, the sup,
Elemental item for the building would
be sent separately to the Buoset 5u-
reau from the group of other supple
mental proposals now being drafted at
the direction of the Commissioners.
This was the outcome today OF a
series of conferences of District officials
over the question of how the Munlclpal
Center might be financed in the hscalS
1867 if other urgent improvements
are to be provided without causing
boost in the tax rate and allowing Tor
the expected return in 1886 of Govern
ment salaries to 100 per cent OASIS
Doubt Fund Sufficiency.
Considerable doubt was raised yester-
day as to whether the Municipal center
could be started out of District 1uaos
alone after Maj. Daniel J. Donovan
District auditor and budget oMclal,
made a schedule of expected budget
needs and probable District revenues
during the fiscal years 1850.
This prospect of the future years was
mot made public. Commissioner Hazen
said the analysis indicated there might
he deficit in the fiscal year 1886 II
school building and other urgent neeoS
were provided for:
The plan now is to send separted
supplemental item to the Budget Buo uo
reau proposing the use OF Sl,0oO.ooo
during the fiscal year 1885 to begln
construction of the Municipal Center
It is planned to spread the cost OF the
first building estimated at s9'4oo'ooo'
over a period of three years.
This would call for an Appropriation
of 80 500 900 in the fiscal year 1886 ana
ST 100000 in 1887. Available Tor; use
in the fiscal year beginning July /
there is some s500000 of unexpended
balances of Center appropriations. This
<,1nnlemental estimate would be accom-
panied by legislative proposal Tor pur-
chase of the District Building at ABOUT
IS 000 600, which would become avail
able for completion of CONSTRUCTION OF
the first unit of the Center in l936-l95i'
Would Aid Center Plan.
The appropriation for the purchase
of the present home OF the DlStrlct
Government would assure use of some
Federal funds to aid in the building of
the Municipal Center. the total cost OF
which has been estimated roughly at
between s20.OO0,0O0 and S3O,O0O,OOO
The building has been designed to have
a character to conform with the style
of nearby Federal buildings. 1t has
been estimated the needs OF the DIS
trict Government itself, without regard
to Federal development plans could be
nrovided for in a municipal plant nav
inc less than half the cost of that in
yolved in the Municipal Center plan.
The District already has spent So
600 900 for the purchase OF iano 1or
the center site.
The Commissioners are ora1tlng Ine
supplemental estimates because II Is
estimated that on the basis OF the 1850
oudget. now before Congress tnere
would be a surplus in revenues at the
end of that year of S5,380.86O Asloe
from the Municipal Center supplement-,
al the other group of supplemental
estimates, to be sent to the Budget
Bureau as a group. have total es-
timated cost of s1,l68, 900.
They call for school improvements,
q Georgetown branch library, additional
housing facilities at the District Re-
formatory and study OF plans 1or
new Chain Bridge.
Obligations to Be Met.
Before the decision was reacned 10
aav Auditor Donovan told the Com,
,,aiseioners their plans for supplemental
Estimates were entirely proper In we"
of the large estimated surplus at the
end of the next fiscal year, but that
the only question was how lar IL was
safe 10 90 in view of obligations which
must be met in 1886 and 1887.
He said: TT might be we'll to en-
phasize fact that will have signln-
cant effect upon the preparation OF
estimated appropriation obligations Tor
The fiscal wears 1886 and 1887. 1 refer
to savings accomplished through salary
cuts ri of employees of the District gov.
eminent For the fiscal year 1888
these salary cuts totaled s2,500, 900:
for the fiscal year 1884, 50 3,62o oOo; ana o
for the fiscal year 1885, s2,5Oo,ooo
Therefore. for the three fiscal years the
salary cuts aggregate $8625,OOo.
81 have emphasized this salary
waiter because of what is to follow
for the fiscal years 1896 and 1881 for
these two years l am assuming 10 ar
salaries will be restored to 100 per
cent basis, and that means that apouV
s3,7oo, 900 for salaries alone must De
added to the operating cost OF DlsIriCs e.
government for each of those years IN
excess of a similar cost for 1884. This
additional cost correspond1ngly reouces
available funds for capital projects.