Evening star., 1940-03-10

ClOnS. every SecJlOn OF tne CITY Is
feeling the touch of the new de-
velopments.
Many P. w. A. Projects.
Much of the municipal work now
in progress was made possible two
years ago, when Congress amended
the Public Works Administration
loan law of 1884 to enable the Com
missioners to accept P. w. A. prof.
ects up to limit of S18,150000 on
the same ratio as other cities-45
per cent grant and SIS per cent loan.
This placed the District on an equal
basis with the States in the public
works program. Under this formula
P. w. A. authorized to advance the
full cost of a project to the District
on condition that SIS per cent would
be repaid in annual installments
over period of 25 years
At the same time Administrator
Nathan Straus of the United States
Housing Authority was earmarking
$l0,000,000 to be allocated to the
Alley Dwelling Authority, to be re-
leased when new legislation had been
enacted giving the A. D. A. the same
status as other housing authorities
in the States. At the beginning of
the past fiscal year this total was
increased to sl5,000000.
The pace for the opening of the
new decade was set during the past
fiscal year, when Congress provided
appropriations totaling $56,289, ,370
for construction projects in the Dis
trict and nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia. The P. w. A. and A. D. A.
funds were included in this total
The District Appropriation Act car
ried $8,741,7 $50 for construction work,
the largest single item being s4631,-
600 for street improvements from
/ The highway fund. For school build
ings and grounds total Of s1,S13,15O
was provided.
| Much of the municipal work in
/ progress today is the result of the
authorizations in last years District
appropriation bill
Included in Budget.
Among the projects so authorized
were an auxiliary reservoir in the
Soldiers Home Grounds, for which
the bill carried 100000; sewer con-
struction, S258,50O; extension of the
water system, $225,000; for starting
the old mains. S135.OOO; assessment
sewers, $780, 900; for an addition to
the District Jail S125.00O, with an
authorized limit of cost of $3.50 0OO;
for starting work on the Municipal
Center, S500000; for plans for the
new Public Library Building, 10000;
for improvement of the Anacostia
flats, S65 900. and for playground i'm
provement, $4,000.
The first release of P. w. A.
funds under the program made pos
sible three District projects now
nearing completion-the Municipal
Court and Juvenile Court buildings
and a 300-bed medical building at
Gallinger Municipal Hospital, with
a cost of s750,oOO. The Gallinger
Hospital work includes renovation
OF the sixth floor of the main build
ing and conversion of the x-ray
division into operating rooms. Alter
ations in the existing ward building
and enlargement of the heating
plant to provide for the new medical
building also were made possible.
A loan and grant of $1,000 900 for
new school construction followed to
provide additions at seven ele-
mentary schools and a new Bunker
Hill School building. Two-story and
basement additions to the Bancroft,
Klngsman, Giddings, M. NJ Wash
ington. Smothers and Monroe
Schools and a one-story and base
ment addition to the Whittier School
were provided for, the work be-
ginning early last year.
These schools had been included in
a $30,000,000 school program based
on projected enrollments through
1912.
Long-Range Program.
Five months ago the Board of Edu-
cation, anticipating the school re-
quirements during the opening of the
l940-1950 decade, proposed a large
scale new attack on deficiencies in
housing, personnel and equipment
for the Districts public school sys-
tenn and requested funds totaling
S18, 8,775,!97 for the l941 fiscal year. an
increase of 40 per cent over the cur
rent appropriations.
The proposals, not yet acted upon
by Congress, call for % building prof.
ects and 81 purchases of land as
sites for future building operations,
as additions to present school
grounds, or as sites for projects for
which funds have been requested.
The 1941 program would provide
for many additions to present struc-
lures, for expansion of present school
courses, increases in the number and
size of play spaces, 370 additional
school employees, including ITO new
teachers and librarians in regular
classes, SO in the vocational, night
school and Americanization classes,
18 in administrative and supervisory
positions and 35 clerks and more
than A workers in the care of build
ings and grounds.
For the current fiscal year, end
ing next June 80, Congress provided
81 ,623 900 for construction projects
proposed by the Board of Education,
exclusive of s1,000.000 of P. w. A.
funds, making a total of $2,623, 600
which now is being expended at the
beginning of the new decade. The
list of construction projects proposed
by the Board of Education for the
coming fiscal wear totals 81 i'm 400
Projects Listed.
Among the principal proposed
school construction projects are:
A new senior high school, having
a limit of cost of 81 ,625 900, on a site
already owned by the District at
Twenty-fourth street and Benning
road NE.
A new home for the Wilson Teach
ers' College on a portion of the land
OF the old tuberculosis Hospital near
Thirteenth and Upshur streets NV