Evening star., 1945-09-19
National Guard
Budget Asked
OF S145,500
Eight Departments
And Agencies Seek
Total of $3.50, 900

than 2,760, 900 for number Of de
partments and agencies, providin.
for the expected return of the Dis
trict National Guard from Fedora
service and for rehabilitation ant
Improvement of park areas.
The National Guard budget, al.
most II times the present one, i.
based on the assumption the troop'
will return to duty in the District
and take over the huge new $780,.
600 armory. now occupied by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The budget request is for S145, 500 ir
l947, compared with $11 800 appro.
priated in 1916.
The budget statement said opera.
tion of the new armory would re-
quire additional personnel and pro-
visions have been made for two new
engineers, two assistant engineers
three flremen and the restoration OF
II positions for clerical and main.
tenance work. The guard has an
authorized strength of 2,450 men
with reserve of approximately 60C
men.
1t also is expected that the Ma
tional Guard will be able to use the
target range at Camp Simms, which
has been used in past years by the
Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine
Corps, Police Department and other
agencies. Funds are being sought
for lockers and furniture.
Provide COlored Headquarters.
An item of 81 300 has been in
cluded for rent and services of a
colored headquarters. A spokesman
at the armory said there always had
been provision for colored head
quarters at Twelfth and U streets
NV. and that the item had been
inserted in event there was not suffi-
cient room for the unit at the new
srmory.
The budgets released today cal
for S2,764, 743, little more than hall
again as much as the 81 sos 100 ap-
propriated in 1916 for the same de.
partments and agencies. The bud
gets cover the Department of In
surance, Department of Weights
Measures and Markets, the Public
Utilities Commission, Zoning Com
mission, National Guard, National
Park Service, National Capital Park
and Planning Commission and the
National Geological Park.
The National Parks Office. which
Is seeking $1639, 900 for 1947, COM
pared with $4,000 for the current
year, has included items for improv-
ing picnic and recreation areas, in
stalling freplaces, foot paths and
repairing shelter houses. fences
tables and benches. Improvements
in picnic and recreational facilities
are planned for Fort Greble, Ana
costa Park, Fort Reno, as well as
repair of buildings, bridges, fences
and other equipment in Rock Creek
Park, Fort Dupont and the Potomac
Park section.
Planning Fund Asked.
A part of the increased parks
office budget is S105,000 for prepa-
ration of part of the plans for SILL
900 900 of park improvements, build
ings, roads, trails and other facili-
ties.
All of the work for which plans
would be prepared are items for
which legislative authority now
exists and are, for the most part,
projects that have been recon-
mended by the National Capital
Park and Planning, Commission -
the budget statement explained
I'm some cases land has been &C
quired by the commission specific
ally for projects
The l947 budget asks for three
architects and three engineers, at
$3.50 a year each, and S79,356 for
contractual services in developing
the plans.
Park officials have asked for
restoration of the positions of eight
Park Police privates to restore va
cancies created by military leaves.
Altogether, As new employees are
sought. exclusive of per diem work
ers. These new positions are for
civil engineers, craftsmen, en-
gineering aides, architects and, en-
gineers and engineers aides
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has submitted
a budget of S73,3O0, an increase of
S25, 100 over current appropriations.
To meet the problems of the post
war period and the rapid growth of
the city the commission has asked
cfotictiRol a of0oluct a ca am q
year and craftsman at $2,320 a
year. 1t was said that concentra-
ton on war problems had created a
backlog of work.
Contend Budget Is Moderate.
compared with other cities of
the United States the proposed
budget is moderate" the commission
commented Actually it is little
more than was appropriated to the
commission in the predepression
years when the Districts budget
was about one half of what it is
today.
Examples of current activities of
the commission which will continue
Tor some time are cooperation with
the Board of Trades postwar
Planning Committee and other
standing committees, the commits
sion's urban redevelopment studies,
cooperation with Maryland and
Virginia authorities on the regional
highway plan, the development of
an up-to-date airport plan for the
Metropolitan Area to serve an esti-
mater 1000 private flyers by 1850.
and for commercial nonscheduled
flying.
Also revision of prewar public
buildings plan co-ordinted with the
general plan for transportation IA
cllities in the central area, a water
front plan to be recommended to
the District (Army) engineer. and
an analysis of the public works
program for both Federal and non
Federal projects in the area"
H Geological Park Budget.
The budget for the Geological
Park has been increased from $40
1000 in 1946 to s592,442 for 1947
Major items accounting for the in
crease are requests for a police
lieutenant and police privates "to
2 carry out proper policing of the
I, park" mechanics, 5 keepers and