Evening star., 1937-12-11
Program Calls for About
100000 to Begin Head
quarters Building.
COLLINS is COMMITTED
TO IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairman Would Not Use
Funds for Salaries.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

After many years of waiting, a
start is to be made in the 1899 Dis
trict appropriation bill on the new
Municipal Center, on the four squares
on the north side of Pennsylvania
avenue between Third and Sixth
streets NV, hearings on the bill to
start Monday.
The program calls for the District
to start the work of reclaiming and
upbuilding that section with an initial
appropriation of approximately $780,
900. The first unit of the Municipal
Center is to provide police, fire and
traffic headquarters.
Chairman Collins of the House sub
committee in charge of the local sup
ply bill is committed to this program
as one feature Of several to be in
cluded in the appropriations for Cap
ital development.
After making an inspection of the
Washington Channel and vicinity yes
terday, Mr.. Collins also gave assur-
ance that funds for improvement of
the water front would be included in
the supply bill. He emphasized that
increased appropriations shall be for
permanent improvements rather than
for increases in salaries to personnel,
as requested by many Offices in the
municipal government
S68,000 to Be Asked First.
An initial appropriation Of $685. 900
will be asked in the first deficiency ap-
preparation bill for work on the water
front, and the Commissioners asked
an additional $4,000 in their 1899
estimates for the work 1t is under
stood the Budget Bureau approved
both items.
Mrs. Collins indicated approval of
the plan under which the War Depart
ment will do the water front work as
part of a national river dredging and
channel-deepening project authorized
by Congress last year. The local
water front project would include a
yacht basin, new municipal wharf,
new harbor police and fire stations,
new morgue and widening of Water
street, the ultimate cost to be 1889, 900.
Would Acquire Sites.
Referring to budget estimates of de-
partment heads, Mr.. Collins said:
IT see no reason for many in
creases in salary, but I am strongly
in favor of building up and i'm
proving the municipal plant and the
Capital City generally. Now is the
time to acquire sites for schools and
Fairgrounds and for other municipal
structures. We have waited many
years to make start on the Munich
pal Center and I anticipate that the
start will be made during the coming
fiscal year In the last appropriation
bill funds were allocated for plans
for permanent public improvements,
and we should go ahead with those
plans. am in favor of a new police
headquarters and adequate housing
for related activities
Mr.. Collins also declared his in
terest in having proper housing for
women at the Lorton Reformatory.
He pointed out that these women are
now quartered in mere "shacks."
Among the other building projects
for which appropriations for plans
were made last year are:
The Thomas jefferson Memorial
High School and Library, for which
q total appropriation of 100000 is
required, half of which was appropri-
ated with the proviso that SIS 1000 was
for plans, but in the deficiency ap-
preparation bill it was ordered that
purchase of the site be deferred until
April /, 1888.
LenOx School Included.
The Lenox Vocational School, on
Potomac avenue between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets Sc, at a
total cost of $1,600,0O0, with $780,
900 appropriated, and $3.50 Of that
amount for plans.
A new senior high school at Fifth
street, to cost s1,350,oOo, with an
initial appropriation of $45O,00O, of
which s25,000 was for plans.
Other permanent improvements to
be included in the new appropriation
bill include underpasses at Dupont
and Thomas Circles.
Chairman Collins and other MEM
bers of the appropriations subcom-
mittee today are inspecting sites pro-
posed for part improvements and ex-
tensions. He will devote tomorrow
to study of the budget recommended
tions which he has just received.
Monday the subcommittee will start
It's hearings on the BILL which is
expected to be at least $4,000 900
In excess OF the present appropri-
ations.