Evening star., 1936-11-08
the public welfare services Of the Dis

the public welfare services OF the Dis
trict cannot be compared as to cost
"in any derogatory way" with the cost
Of any other city or county, and where
they are high on per capita basis,
of living in washington, congressional
action land other factors beyond our
control"
'Our public welfare services are as
good as they can be made with the
funds available" he said. 'They are,
in many respects, notoriously made
quate. What the District of Columbia
needs, in spite of this admittedly high
cost because Of peculiar conditions.
is not less expenditure. but more ex-
penditure, so that our community may
give more service, and more adequate
and effective service, to meet the hu-
man needs of the community and To
protect it against the effects of dis
ease, destitution, dependency and de-
linquency."
Capt. Herbert C. Whitehurst. direc-
tor of highways, defended Washington
street paving costs in comparison with
similar costs in other cities. He pointed
out that one of the reasons for the
higher costs is the fact that the streets
here are wider than in most cities. He
also called attention to the cost Of the
District Of street Improvements around
Government reservations. which are
reflected in the total Of maintenance
and operating costs of the District.
In the last few years. Capt. White
hurst said, more than $780, 900 of Dis
trict funds were spent on street i'm
provements in the vicinity Of the
Capitol. Now the Highway Depart
ment. he declared. is engaged in i'm
proving the streets around the new
Department Of Interior Building.
Capt. Whitehurst called the COM
mitteeis attention to what he con-
sidered errors" made by the Census
Bureau in its compilation Of highway
costs relating to Washington since
1888. These errors. he said, consisted
Of two items Of capital outlay and
maintenance which were included in
the Census Bureaus reports, that, If
eliminated, would reduce the figures
for the per capita operating costs in
the District.
$3.50 Held Correct Figure.
The Census Bureau report, accord
ing to Whitehurst, showed that the
per capita highway cost in the Dis
trict for the 1885 fiscal year was $4.65.
but if the so-called "errors" were COR
rected, the per capita figure would be
reduced to $3.50.
Capt. Whitehurst, however, said he
did not believe in comparing highway
expenditures on a per capita basis, be-
cause cities used in the comparative
studies all differed in the square yards
OF paving per person. In Washington.
he said, the per capita is slightly over
Is square yards. while in Detroit,
which ranks next in per capita costs,
the figure is 22.63.
Highway repair standards in Wash
ington, Capt. Whitehurst explained, are
higher than those in most other cities,
yet the cost here Is lower. Studies
made from records kept by the Bureau
Of Public Roads, he said, show that
the cost Of repairs in Washington, US
ing an 8-inch base as a standard,
amounted to 1922 per square yard.
In Boston. he declared. the cost is
S3.10: in Richmond, Va, 1894; in
Philadelphia, $500, and in Baltimore,
1892.
He said the large number Of bridges
in Washington contributed also to the
| high maintenance cost. Drawbridges
require more maintenance money than
the stationery type, he explained.
The abnormal growth of Washing
ton in the last few years, coupled
with the insufficient highway appro-
| priations, Capt. Whitehurst stated,
has forced the Highway Department to
build a number Of temporary streets,
which, he predicted, "are going to
bring terrible expense on us in years
to come"
Whitehurst emphasized that the cost
Of virtually all highway work is
financed out of the gasoline tax fund.
to which the Federal Government does
not contribute cent, since it is ex-
empt from payment of the gasoline
tax.
Jacobs, however, reminded Capt.
Whitehurst that the motorists through
out the country who come to WASH