Evening star., 1935-10-20
Budget
Continued From First Page)

for permanent new improvements
would be the largest sum spent for
many years to provide facilities to
meet requirements of a growing city.
The sum left available for Capital
improvements has been dWindling in
recent years due to increased main
tenance costs and gradual reduction
of the Federal payment.
Even with the increased appropria-
ton recommended, studied plals for
expansion of the school system, health
department, welfare institutions and
other major units of the Government
were heavily reduced.
The budget now must pass in re-
view before the Budget Bureau, the
President, committees of Congress and
then the House and Senate and some
further cuts are expected here and
there by the Commissioners, although
they regard their present budget as
at rock bottom
1886 Precedent Followed.
In setting the Federal payment
at S8,317,5o0, the Commissioners fol-
lowed a precedent established a year
ago when they proposed similar sum
for the 1886 budget. This was ap-
proximately the average Federal pay
ment appropriated by Congress over
the preceding 10-year period. The
Commissioners deemed this as fair as
any method of calculating a lump
sum payment.
That figure met with approval by
the Senate, but was rejected finally
in conference at the insistence of the
House Representatives. Maj. Dono-
van. in his report on the 1887 budget
to Acting Budget Director Daniel w.
Bell, recalled that last year the bu-
reau recommended that the proposed
Federal payment be reduced to S.
100000, the gross figure appropriated
In the previous year.
THE right to recommend an in
crease in the Federal payment, there
fore, would appear to rest with that
bureau" said Maj. Donovan, making
the point that the bureau had recon-
mended a change from the Commits
sioners' total.
The largest item in the new budget
is $13,959,046 for operation and ex-
pansion of the public school system.
This would amount to an increase of
2,506, 1896 over current appropriations.
Of the total recommended by the
Commissioners for the school system,
s1l, ,576,546 was for operation, an in
crease of $944,4 ,496 over current ap-
preparations.
New School Figure Gains.
For construction of new school
buildings and additions to existing
structures. the city heads recommend
ed S2,121 500, an increase Of $1,346, 500
over current appropriations. For pur-
chase of additional land for school
the Commissioners proposed
s26l 900. an increase Of $206, 900 over
appropriations for the present fiscal
year.
The Board of Education and Super
intendent Of Schools Frank w. Ballou
has urged a total appropriation Of
$18.04l ,339, an increase Of $6,579, 900
over current appropriations. The
School Board presented justifications
Tor 20 building projects, against 6 ap-
proved for the present year, and for
Is items for school sites, as against
but granted for this year.
School officials had sought funds for
plans for three new senior high schools,
to be built at Takoma Park, near Six
teenth street and Rhode Island avenue
northeast and near Twenty-fourth
street and Benning road northeast.
Other requests were for sites for new
junior high schools at Massachusetts
and Cathedral avenues and near
Eighteenth street and Columbia road
and an appropriation for purchase of
the remainder Of the site for the new
Jefferson Junior High School.
Maj. Donovan, because of legal re-
strictionS, did not make public what
individual items were incorporated in
the Commissioners budget proposals
in any section OF the budget.
The plans Of DR.. George @. Rub
land, health officer, for considerable
expansion Of the services and facilities
of his department suffered heavily In
the budget making. He sought an
increase Of $131 900 over current ap-
preparations. In allowing the Health
Department a total budget Of $542.2o2,
the Commissioners recommended an
increase of $4,000 over current ap-
preparations, or about so per cent Of
that sought by Dr.. Rutland.
DR.. Rutland particularly pleaded
the need for generous expansion Of
the public health nursing service, tu-
berculosis control measures, the public
school medical inspection service and
for more adequate equipment.
The Board Of Public Welfare and