Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-11

No Funds Considered
For School Construction;
Police Increase SIoshed
Continued From First Page)
priation of $75O,0O0 for "blackout"
purposes this was eliminated in the
late budget cutting, since but little
of the second 100000 authorized
loan has yet been asked or given
and it was thought this authorize
ton might cover next years needs.
For repayment of Lanham Act
advances, the 1914 budget proposes
use Of 100000 of District money.
Ofncials said they had no current
report showing just how much the
District would have been legally
liable to repay the next fiscal year.
Surplus Funds Not Free"
On a general subject Of debt re-
payment, District Budget Ofhcer
Walter l.. Fowler said the Com
missioners were aware of the great
backlog Of demands against Dis
trict revenues which would come up
for attention as soon as wartime
priority restrictions were removed
from capital improvements and that
the Commissioners and the Budget
Bureau, were convinced reports of
SURPRISES" for the past fiscal year
and this fiscal year were not free
monies" in that sense and that,
therefore. it was only good bust
ness" to use such apparent SURPRISES
for debt repayment, to place the
District in better financial position
when the backlog arrives.
Mr.. Fowler emphasized that q
study Of accounts shows that since
1912 the impending increased wage
and salary costs total more than
$500 900. And, he said, Budget
Bureau officials had called this
pointedly to the attention OF the
Commissioners at q recent con-
ference which led to a suggestion
that probably $1,000 900 should be
cut from maintenance and opera
ton requests for the next fiscal
year. Subsequent studies resulted
in joint recommendations for the
$4,000, 900 cut reflected in the ap-
proved budget.
1t was estimated that the pro-
posed pay increases for school
teachers, police and firemen, as en-
bodied in the McCarran bill now
pending before the Senate District
Committee would add nearly $685.
900 a year to District costs.
Welfare Funds Slashed.
In their final revisions of the
District estimates, the Budget Bu-
reau and the Commissioners struck
of nearly $500 900 for public welfare
which earlier had been approved.
The District WPA sponsors item of
SIS 900 was cut of entirely, leaving
in doubt continuation of the free
lunch program for needy school
children and perhaps other similar
projects, and proposed appropria-
lions for several relief categories
were slashed, amid reports that
distribution of surplus commodi-
ties by the United States might end
soon.
One cut ordered by the budgeteers
set up prospect of savings of
nearly $4,000 a year to the District
government by the means Of a re-
ported reduction from $190 to $1.S5
in the per diem per patient cost
OF maintaining District residents
placed under care at st. Elizabeth s
Hospital, ordered by the Budget
Bureau. 1t was said this cut In
fees would become effective some
time between now and July l.
In making their So 800 900 pruning
the city heads and Federal officials
eliminated nearly a dozen extra
workers requested by Health Onicer
George c. Rutland for the District
tuberculosis Sanatorium at Glenn
Dale, Md, some of whom were in
tended to improve quality and
service of food and medical atten-
ton, about which there was COM
plant last year, plus a reduction OF
| SooAAo1Co lOI 1ICIlu OdlC m8l0bcn-
ance, repair and improvement.
There were some other cuts in
Health Department requests, includ-
ing the nursing service and maternal
and child welfare services, to make
a total Health Department cut OF
$84, $50.
Other Reductions.
Among the cuts was a 1864 .21O
reduction in estimates for the CITY
Refuse Division, with $l45,S50 being
Topped OH provisions for the collec-
ton division, mostly concerning new
equipment, repairs to incinerators
and $4,000 from requests for new
equipment that officials felt prob
ably could not be obtained anyway
because of the war.
Street cleaning programs suffered
. reduction Of 100000, partly for
additional labor and the remainder
for new equipment, but it was said
the proposed outlay for the division