Evening star., 1936-06-24
SIGNATURE ON BILL
ASSURES PROGRAM
OF IMPROVEMENTS
1887 Appropriation Measure
Approved by President
Clears Path.
BIDS WILL Be SOUGHT
WITHIN THREE WEEKS
Plans for Branch Library and
School Projects Also to
Be Pushed.

Plans for an early start on a NUM-
cipal improvement program costing
nearly $7,000,000, as provided in the
1887 District appropriation bill,
signed yesterday by President Roose-
velt, were begun today by engineers
and architects under the direction of
Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sultan.
Starting of construction of che new
Police Court building in Judiciary
Square will be the first major step in
the program, since plans for this
structure now are ready.
Signing of the bill climaxes years
OF campaigning to demonstrate the
need for modern, sanitary and efi.
ciently planned home for the lower
court. Deplorable conditions in the
present structure were graphically
outlined about 10 years ago by a
member of The Star staff, who got
himself arrested and haled into court
so he could get f1rst-hand knowl-
edge Of the crowded, insanitary, >Hle-
adequate facilities there. For this
purpose he took the pen name of
Pete Martin" His stories started a
vigorous campaign for the improve
ment.
Municipal Architect Nathan C.
Wyeth started drafting plans for the
building months ago, anticipating
provision of funds in the 1887 bill.
This forethought makes an early start
on construction possible.
Bids to Be Asked Soon,
Advertisement for bids are to be
published by the Commissioners with
in two or three weeks. Contractors
will be allowed 80 days to send in
their offers. The Commissioners hope
to be ready to award contracts by late
August.
The limit of cost has been placed
at sl,500,00o. of which sl,0Oo,ooo is
immediately available. The building
is one of three new minor courts
buildings to be erected in the square
TO the north of District Supreme
Court. Plans for the Police Court
building already have the approval of
the Fine Arts Commission, with the
exception one small change.
The Commissioners have asked the
Labor Department for predetermina-
ton OF wages which must be paid
under the Bacon-Davis prevailing
wage law. An answer is expected
soon.
Additional architects, possibly as
many as 10. are soon to be employed
by the District for the drafting of
plans for the new Petworth Branch
Library and for nine school building
projects also provided in the supply
act.
Plans Must Be Approved.
Plans for these must be drawn
and approved before construction is
planned.
Congress appropriated $4,000 for
starting of construction of the Pet
worth library, the total cost of which
is to be $15O,o0o.
The school building program
amounts to 81, ,402 500, the largest item
OF which is for an addition to Eastern
High School, to relieve congestion
there. The school has had to be oper.
ated on the platoon system. The ad.
dition is to cost s353,OOO.
Eastern's enrolment during the wear
was close to 5000 and its capacity was
for only 2,l00. This forced school au-
thorities to divide the student BODY
INTO two groups, half attending classes
in the forenoon and half in the after
noon.
The other school-construction items
are:
Addition to Lafayette School. includ-
ing an assembly hall-gymnasium,
sl65,OOO.
Completion of the second floor at
the Hardy School, $4,000.
Addition to Truesdell.
Addition to Truesdell School. includ-
ing an assembly-gymnasium. sl48,500.
Addition to Grimke School, includ-
ing assembly-gymnasium, $175,00O.
Addition to Young School, including
gymnasium, $4,000.
Addition to Paul Junior High School
including gymnasium, $165,00
Completion of Anacostia Junior.
Senior High School, 100000.
District bridge engineers today
started studies for replacement Of the
old Chain Bridge and for drafting Of
plans for proposed new Pennsylvania
Avenue Bridge The new Chain
Bridge is to cost $780, 900, of which
s25o,000 is available for plans and
starting construction. The level Of
the bridge on the Virginia side is to
be raised about feet and on the Dis
trict side about feet. The District
approach also is to be improved by
giving it wider turn in the road.
Congress has provided $4,000 for
drafting Of plans for the proposed new