Evening star., 1937-09-04
BY DON S. WARREN.

DI OON ,. AhkEN.
Indications that the 1889 District
budget as proposed by municipal de-
partments would exceed current ap-
preparations by about S20OO0,O0O were
seen today as nearly a score of the
departmental requests were thrown
into the laps of the Commissioners
Prospects are that the budget de-
mands of the department chiefs will
exceed 5000 900, the greatest total
on record, or nearly $4,000 900 in ex-
cess of appropriations granted for this
year by Congress, when a $4,000 900
increase in taxes was ordered to bal
ance the current budget.
The exact total is not yet known.
Many departments have not yet re-
ported their estimates for the new
year among these being the proposals
OF the Highway Department, hereto
fore supported almost entirely out Of
the gasoline tax The funds for this
department next year will be increased
by adoption of the motor vehicle
weight tax and, therefore, its esti-
mates are expected to exceed the
s3,l45,000 granted for this year.
Guard Asks S3,247,665.
The prospective 1889 total Of the
estimates was greatly swelled today
by the requests of the District Ma
tional Guard which call for construc-
ton of new armories and other build
ing programs which carried its total
requests to s3,247 SOS. This is an in
crease of 7,49l per cent higher than
the current appropriation of $40 ,79O
Encouraged by the request made of
Congress by President Roosevelt at
the past session for funds for a new
armory, Col. John w. Oermann, COM
manding officer, inserted a s3.2O0,O00
building and expansion program in the
1889 estimates.
This program calls for 50 500 900 for
construction of any armory for white
members of the militia; 100000 for
construction Of an armory for the
colored troops; 5000, 900 for purchase Of
suitable sites for the armories, the loca-
tions being not specified; $50, 1000 for
preparation of plans for the armories:
$19,325 for modernization and repair
Of the present armory in the old hotel
at Sixth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue., pending provision of the new
buildings; S2l0,000 for construction of
IL garages and storehouses for units
of the guard; $4,000 for rental of
armory quarters for five new units
of the guard to be formed during the
calendar year 1898; $500 for oper-
ating expenses for Is new units formed
in the three years ending with 1898,
and $4,000 for replacement of the
furniture of the older units Of the
guard
Inadequate Facilities Cited.
In justification for the new armory
requests, the guard officials said:
The needs of the National Guard
for suitable armory facilities have been
presented to the Commissioners and
other Government agencies innumer-
able times during the last 25 or 80
years, so this need is we'll known. The
organization now is housed in a hotel
building purchased by the District in
1880 as part of the proposed munich
pal center site. This building is ap-
proximately 125 years old.
THE present armory is without
drill hall or other adequate facilities.
The other armory building, at Sixth
and Water streets southwest, is slated
to be razed in connection with develop
ment of the water front Provision
must be made for the housing of units
located therein"
For the electrical department, WAL
ter E. Kern, superintendent. has sub
mitted estimates amounting to Sl,O79,-
720, an increase of $98,92O over this
years appropriations. He asks for a
new item Of s62, 100 for installation Of
new fire alarm headquarters equip
ment, replacement of 408 obsolete-type
fire alarm boxes and installation Of