Evening star., 1948-10-24
District 10 Seek
Deficiency Fund
OF. $4,000
Money Would Cover
; Police and
Health Projects
By Jerry O'Leoy, Jr.

District officials said last night
they plan to ask Congress in
January for three deficiency ap-
preparations totaling $242, 900 for
badly needed police and health
facilities. .
The projects are:
l. 100000 for renovation of the
abandoned Gales School into q
Health Department center for the
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic.
2. $4,000 to build the new Four
teenth Precinct station house at
Forty-second street and Benning
road NE.
3. $4,000 to build an outside au-
tonobile elevator at the Municipal
Garage where one elevator is out of
order and the other Is being used in
q dangerous condition.
The Gales School project at First
street and Massachusetts, avenue
NV. hinges on an appeal the En-
gineer Department plans to make of
a Controller Generals ruling that
has stalled the renovation. The
Controller General ruled In August
that $4,000 contract let by the
Health Department for the renova-
ton is illegal because Congress
failed to use specific language In
the appr opriation act.
Funds Refused.
The last Congress was asked to
appropriate the $4,000 but refused.
Congress did, however, promise to
authorize the District to spend .
$4,000 from the 1s4s appropriation.
In the crush of ls1..Tainute business
at the last session, the. appropriate
language never was written inte
the law.
Meanwhile, \ the Health DEPART
ment managed to save the s7B 900
by effecting several economies. The
lowest bid had to be dropped be-
cause 1t was discovered the bidder
could not make the bond. The
next low bidder signed the contract
for the renovation work. Just a.
construction was about to begin.
the Controller General ruled that
the proper language was not. ia
cluded in the appropriation act.
Assistant Engineer Commissioner
L. E. Cox said he hopes the Control
ler General will reconsider this rul-
ing. The District will argue that
the renovation of Gales School is q
repair job and not new construction.
Health Ofhcer c. Rutland, mean
while, will ask the Commissioners to
seek the $4,000 deficiency appropri-
alton If the Controller General de.
cides not to change his decision.
Renovation Work Needed.
DR.. Ella oppenheimer, director OF
the Maternal and Child Welfare
Clinic. has attempted to obtain
funds for three years to renovate
Gales School. The present clinic
is quartered in temporary quarters
at Is D street NV, owned by the
Acacia Life Insurance Co. DR.. OPP
penheimer said Acacia has asked for
return OF Its property, making the
need for the renovation work even
more acute than before.
The Police Department and the
Board of Education consider the
fourteenth precinct station house
equally essential. At present, the
station house Is located in the old
Davis School annex. Forty fourth
street and H place Sc. The Board
Of Education says it needs the school
annex no later than the second
semester of the 1949-50 school year.
More than $150,000 was appro-
priated originally by Congress for
the new station house but, with the
delay, construction prices have
risen. Archie G. Hutson, director
of construction. said he will ask
the Commissioners to approve s75,-
900 deficiency appropriation when
Congress reconvenes, in order to
tSea nEETrTENVV paoe 81