Evening star., 1942-09-03

employees and Bureau Of Mental
Hygiene. Page B-1
Reduced revenues from gaSo-
line taxes. due to rationing, have
impelled the Highway Depart
ment to reduce its 1914 budget
requests by 52Ia per cent from
the l943 appropriation, it was
revealed when the proposed
budget was released by the Com
nlisSionerS today.
A total appropriation of $2.254 ,O40
is sought by the department for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1914. as
compared with l943 appropriation
of $4757,130
Despite the lower budget request,
the department reported a large
number of projects involving street
construction and repair which are
now pending, The Capitals rapid
expansion, it was pointed out, has
created great demand for new
street work, much of which cannot
be acted on because of financial
circumstances.
OF the entire appropriation re-
ouested, $269O46 is for Salaries-an
increase of $7016 over the 1943
grant, brought about by in-grade
promotions. Virtually every other
category in the new budget has been
trimmed drastically.
No new funds are being asked
either for the paving of new streets
or for road widening. A grant of
$4,000 is requested to match Fed
eral aid funds if these are available.
The department reported that Fed
eral aid money for construction
work probably will not be available
after this year, but it urged the
Commissioners to grant the $4,000
SO that Federal funds for survey and
plans can be obtained and highway
projects to be begun directly after
the war can be outlined
The department asked SIS 900 for
paving, repaving and surfacing.
This is S125 600 less than the
amount granted in the 1943 budget.
This fund, it was explained, would
permit the paving of few of the
roadWays where there now exist un-
satisfactory conditions"
10000 for Grading Asked.
A grant of 100000, compared with
s75,0 900 in 1943, was asked for grad
ing, and no funds are sought for
paving center strips of highways or
for minor changes to roads. The ap-
preparation requested for work on
the shoulders, cutters and curbs is
the same as that set up in the 1943
budget-$25,0 900.
The 1914 request for resurfacing
and replacing existing pavements
was cut in half from the 100000
granted in the 1943 allotments.
This reduction. the department eX-
plains, does not reflect a decreased
demand for such work but is made
necessary rather by curtailed rev.
enueS. y
Changes in drainage structures
will require 100000 instead of the
s250,000 received for the 1943
budget, and funds to provide for the
channelization of traffic are down
from 100000 to $4,000 in the new
reqests.
The department asks that S105,-
900, the same as was asked last
year, be set aside for the mlainte-
nance of bridges in the District.
OF this amount, $4,000 would be
held in reserve for emergency re-
pairs or construction which might
be brought about as the result of the
war. An item of 100000 to begin
work on a new bridge over the
Anacostia River has been carried
over in this years request from
the budget approved last year.
Low-Cost Road Funds Asked.
To permit the building of loW-cost
roadways in many newly developed
residential areas, the department
asks S150,000, just half Of what was
requested last year.
The development of new terri
tories for buildings to meet the
housing situation by both private
and Government agencies" the de-
partment comments, has resulted
in the opening of many miles of
streets and roads, which are made
quate to serve the abutting prop
erty or even to permit access thereto
in many cases"
Repairs to streets, the depart
ment estimates, will require the
same amount granted last year
1895 ,000, Of which $4,000 is to be
set aside for snow removal, The
demand for road improvements,
especially in outlying districts, the
department. said, far exceeds our
ability to meet them"
The request for condemnation
funds was $4,000, half of the
amount granted in the l943 budget
and for assessments and permit
work, s150000, or $4,000 less than
that allowed last year.
The department pointed out there
are 91o miles of roadway and l,348
miles of sidewalk now in existence,
all of which must be properly main
rained.