Evening star., 1939-08-31
CourtsAsk
Budget Boost
To $392,690
Juvenile Brunch
Seeks Is More Aides
For Growing Load

Commissioners covering the estl-
mated expenses of the Districts
court system for the next fiscal year,
1t was revealed today.
Courts included in the estimates
are the Juvenile, Police and Mu-
nicipal Courts and the probation
Office Costs of other judicial
branches are met jointly by the Dis
trict and Federal Government.
Juvenile Court, asking $l31,9S0,
seeks l3' new positions to remedy
'the acuteness of the present situa-
ton" The estimate is more than
100000 above that for the current
fiscal year, all but about $1,000 of
which will go toward the salaries
of the new positions.
The court reported handling 1920
cases last year, which it said was an
increase of 81 per cent over the
previous year. as against a Al per
cent increase in appropriations. The
court said it was seriously under
stated and inadequately financed"
In 1898.
The new posts would provide eight
new probation officers, two clerks
and three case supervisors. Five
OF the probation officers would be
attached to the non-support section
where up to last June the present
staff was reported as carrying a case
load of BOT each. This. according to
the court. is triple the number an
officer can reasonably be expected
to carry. The other three probation
officers would be attached to the
juvenile division where up to last
June the present staff was said to
be three months behind in investi-
eating complaints.
Police Court Asks S140,750.
For Police Court. S140750 is
sought which is about $500 above
the budget for this fiscal year. An
other assistant financial clerk is re-
quested on the ground that the two
clerks now assigned to the job have
handled more than 10000 cash
transactions this year A new bail
If is sought and the contingent ex-
penses are up $1,000, but these in
creases are just about taken care of
in $4,000 reduction in the item for
Jurors compensation.
This reduction, the court eX-
planned, represents the uneXpended
balance Of the 1899 appropriation as
the result of using government en-
ployes as jurors. Government en-
ployes, it was explained. may be used
as jurors under an act of August,
1885.
Municipal courts request an ap-
preparation -totaling S1O0,480 which
represents an increase of about
$4,000 over the current authorize
ton. The increase is taken up in
salary promotions, juror appropria-
tions and contingent expenses. The
latter item is $4,000 and is double
the amount authorized for this year,
due the court said, to the demands
OF the small claims and the con-
Citation branch.
A total of sl9,480 is asked for the
probation Office. This is ST 300 above
this years budget and represents
WV oeAAetAy AAASL SooCo
Electrical Department.
The District Electrical Depart
ment has filed 1941 budget esti-
mates asking for ST 1,O40 $50, or more
than S177,000 above the authorize
ton for the current fiscal year, it
was learned yesterday.
In addition a special SUPPLEMENT-
al request for $303,00O is filed to
equip the new fire alarm head
quarters being built in the vicinity
OF the Mcmillan Reservoir as a
P. w. A. project.
AT the same time the District
Inspection Department sought the
Commissioners approval of an in
crease OF $54,080 over the current
budget to provide q new positions.
The total asked was 1904, ,O40.
The bulk of the electrical increase
: Is divided about evenly between the
underground wiring for the police
and fire alarm systems and street
lighting. 1t is planned to install
90 new fire alarm boxes in sections
now without them and also to re-
place more than so defective police
call boxes.
4 In connection with the supple
mental request officials said it
would require about $45O.OOO spent
over a two-year period to equip the
new headquarters with modern sig
mails and apparatus, the S3O3, 900
being the allotment for the first
year. 1t is planned to set up 300
new fire alarm boxes in connection
with the second years program. it
: was stated.
New Positions Requested.
S. In the Inspection Department
estimates eight new positions are
being asked in the building division
and six others in the plumbing Sec
ton. To support the latter request
officials recalled constant increase
IN the installation of refrigeration
and ir-conditioning units. Hun
! dreds OF small systems are believed
to have been installed without per-
NIT or inspection, and there are
some 1900 restaurants and beverage
establishments where the plumbing
must be checked, it was stated.
IS Large increases in the use of
electricity are advanced as justif-
cation Of the need for nine new
positions in the electrical inspection
section. At present. it was said,
there is probably as much illegal
rs legal installation. Some 1000
uninspected installations are record
ed in the files, and about 1000 COM
plants of defective wiring have
gone uninvestigated, officials said.
In the smoke and boiler division
four new posts are asked because
OF the volume of work.