Evening star., 1947-07-25


The operating fund Of the Health
Department is set at $2,042, 900, but
officials said the department would
have to absorb the $35, 600 cost OF
the housekeeping aid program and
the $4,000 cost of remodeling the
old Gales School into a clinic, if
this project Is carried on this year
Auditors Powers Increased.
The bill also includes a whitfield
down version of the plan of Chair
man Horan of the District subcom-
mittee1 1the HQpsN AppropSiatt1rfS
ConsnaW to giSs+4argel 4BNrSs
the District auditor over disburse-
ments Of all agencies. The redraft
lists only the Health Department
and the welfare agencies in section
giving exclusive preaudit controls to
the auditor. y
version of the e. W Brown School
into a combined library and recrea-
tion center, and $4,000 for stating
and operation of the combined CEN
ter during its first year Of operation
The project has been the object
of a community campaign which
was intensified last fall when The
Star joined in supporting the prof.
ect, along with the Recreation
Board and the Board of Library
Trustees.
Recreation for Thousands.
Conversion of the old. school at
! Connecticut avenue and Mckinley
street into a center, housing q
branch library, will provide SUPER
vised recreation for the thousands
of young people living in Chevy
Chase.
Mr.. Fowler, in viewing the city's
financial needs ahead, said that the
plan is to ask for an additional 49,
100000 more for school construction
alone in 1949.
Then, he added, there is the need
for a new Industrial Home School,
improvements at Glenn Dale SAM
tarium, modern buildings for the
Home for the Aged and Infirm at
Blue Plains, q new pediatrics build
ing for Gallinger Hospital and other
capital outlays that have been spot
lighted by Engineer Commissioner
Gordon r. Young in his long range
building program.
Additional increases in the real
estate tax, Mr.. Fowler said, will have
the effect of encouraging present
taxpayers to look elsewhere for
homes and property investments.
Won't Estimate Receipts.
Asked what the most optimistic
estimates of revenue under the new
tax act were, Mr.. Fowler declined
to guess. He was not optimistic,
he said, over the ability Of the city's
new income tax to raise money.
District officials fear, he said, that
the new income tax, with its loop
holes for all those signing afhdavits
they do not consider Washington
their home and intend going back
where they came from, may mean
that some persons who have been
paying the income tax here win
no longer pay it.
Congress, in the meantime, is
sending to the White House pro-
posals to return several Govern
ment agencies to Washington to
begin planning the new hospital
center and to make a master plan
for slum clearance In the National
Capital.
Funds for these projects and some
others in the District are in the
independent Offices appropriation
bill, finally approved yesterday by
both House and Senate.
$500 Jobs Involved.
An item of 5000. 900 is for the Pub
lie Buildings Administration to bring
back agencies to washington with
about 4,5oo jobs.
For the hospital center, 81, ,700, 900
is carried for the Public Buildings
Administration to prepare plans and
specifications and to buy some Of
the site. The center Is to be built
chiefly on grounds Of the Naval
Observatory and the Districts In
dustrial Home School
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is provided
SIS 900 to finance its survey Of
Washington to develop q master
plan on the basis of which the 40
year slum clearance program can
be carried forward by the new
Land Redevelopment Agency.
Other local items include 81, $50
600 for continuing construction of
the West Central Heating Plant,
$3.50, 900 for . site and plans for