Evening star., 1937-09-26
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Irrespective of the size of the budget
the Commissioners may frame for the
1889 fiscal year, the House Subcommit-
tee on Appropriations. which writes
the annual District supply bill, plans
to keep the total from exceeding S48,-
100000. The appropriation for the
current fiscal year was s46000,000.
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen has
indicated the new budget might go as
high as $4,000, 900, despite the protest
of the Washington Board of Trade and
number of civic organizations against
any increase over the current appro-
priations. The exact figure, however,
will not be known until the latter part
Of the week when the Commissioners
complete the task of slashing the
s65, ,000,0 900 budget recommendations of
the department heads.
The S2O00,000 increase over cur
rent appropriations to be allowed by
the subcommittee in the coming fiscal
year. it was indicated, will be absorbed
largely by highway projects which will
be financed with unappropriated rev.
enue to be derived from the new motor
vehicle weight tax.
Outline of Projects.
Chairman Collins of the subconmit-
mittee disclosed he is particularly
anxious that a start be made in the
coming fiscal year on the proposed
$4,000, 900 five-year highway improve
ment program of Capt. H. c. White
hurst, director of highways. Already
Collins has made tentative outline of
the projects he intends to support.
Heading the list is a new headquarters
building for the Police Department,
which is to form the first unit in the
long-contemplated municipal center
development. The others, all designed
to remove traffic hazards and facilitate
the movement of traffic. follow:
/. Redesign Of Dupont, Thomas
and Scott Circles.
2. Construction Of an elevated
highway over K street as bypass
for traffic through Georgetown.
8. Construction of a new bridge
across Rock Creek from Connect
cut avenue to Sixteenth street.
=. vi d VI
streets in the business section, par
ticularly Twelfth street from New
York to Massachusetts, avenue, the
north side of New York avenue
from Fourteenth to Fifteenth
street, and Twelfth street from
Constitution to Independence ave-
nue..
Listed in Program.
Nearly all these projects are listed
in the initial installment Of Capt.
Whitehurst's five-year program. One
exception is the proposed viaduct over
K street which Capt. Whitehurst
planned to delay later in the five-year
program.
Capt. Whitehurst included replace
ment of the Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridge over the Anacostia River in his
program for the coming fiscal year,
but Collins said the need for relieving
congested conditions on M street
through Georgetown is more acute"
and should take precedence over
new Pennsylvania avenue bridge.
The proposed Pennsylvania avenue
bridge is estimated to cost s2,000,000.
Capt. Whitehurst suggested starting
appropriation of s65O,000 in the COM
ing fiscal year, a similar sum in the
1910 fiscal year, and 100000 more
in 1941 to complete the project.
Cost of the proposed bypass ex-
press highway for Georgetown was
estimated at s1,8O0.000.
100000 Highway.
A new highway crossing Rock
Greek, which Collins is especially
anxious to see constructed, would
cost, according to Capt. Whitehurst,
at least 100000.
Plans for revamping Dupont and
Thomas Circle call for construction
of underpasses for street cars to per-
NIT complete segregation of street
cars and vehicular traffic. New
traffic directional islands would be
built at Scott Circle.
Although the total amount Of the
budget of the Commissioners is still
uncertain, Hazen insists it will not be
less than S50000,000. He pointed out
the figure would be predicated on a
Federal payment of $500, 900 in the
coming fiscal year, an increase of
$2,500,000 over the current ap-
preparation.
"Of course, If Congress refuses to
increase the Federal payment" he de-
clared, cit will be simple for the
House Appropriations Subcommittee
to keep the total within the $4,000
600 goal.
But the Commissioners are deter
mined to fight for an increase In the
Federal payment, and believe there
is someN hope of success. If we get !
the additional $2,500,oO0, it probably
will be allocated to the public
schools"