Evening star., 1953-01-30
District Leaders
Push Plan for
Public Works
Budget Bureau Okoy
By April IS Sought;
Cost Shifts Revealed
By George Bexeridae

The wraps were taken OF
tentative cost reyisions and
program changes last night at
a meeting attended by more
than 125 representatives OF
citizens and civic associations.
The District will bear much OF
the cost out of existing and in
creased revenues. Other sums
will be sought in the forms of
long-term, interest-free loans
from Congress as well as an out
right grant as Congress share
in the Federal City operation.
Breakdown Of Project.
Officials disclosed this break
down:
1. Water and aqueduct-$ 8
million. The water fund would
continue to be Self-liquidating
made possible by water rate in
creaseS up to a maximum of 33.3
per cent. No interestAfree loan
or grant would be sought. But
maximum amount of the funds
interest-bearing Federal loan
should be increased from the
present $23 million to $28 mil
lion.
2. Sanitary sewer system
$25.5 million. No intereSt-free
loan or grant sought. Instead,
new self -liqmdating sewer fund
would be established. This would
be financed by ID a new sewer
tax, equal to a maximum Of go
per cent Of water bills. and (2)
a 2 per cent Federal loan, prob
ably Of $5 million, on the same
basis as the current water loan.
8. Highways -$124.3 million.
OF this amount. about $75 mil
lion would be needed beyond
revenues from normal sources.
Half, or $37.5 million, would be
sought In. a Federal grant, and
$37.5 million in a 50-year inter-
est-free loan.
4. Storm Sewers and Public
Building Construction Tenta-
lively, $168.5 million. A Federal
grant and interest-free loan will
be required. Exact financing still
is under study.
Brig. Gen. Louis w. Prentiss,
Engineer Commissioner, ex-
planned that the construction
estimates will not be complete
until a report is received from
an Advisory Committee on Hos
pitfalls and Health. This is ex-
pected, it was learned, on Tues
day. When that data is analyzed,
Gen. Prentiss said, loan and
grant amounts needed to supple
ment normal revenue funds will
be disclosed.
He emphasized, however, that
the building jobs create the most
difficult financing problem,
"Since none of these projects
are revenue producing and
tend to increase annual costs
Of stating, operating and MAIN
tenance."
Gen. Prentiss said increased
building costs accounted mainly
for upward revision Of the high
way total. While promising to
raise all the local revenue we
can" to meet the cost, he said
a large grant and loan will be
sought with the knowledge that
"the loads our streets must bear
are in large measure q result of
the presence Of the Federal Gov
ernment."
Yearly Highway Review.
The commissioner stressed
that details of the highway pro-
gram will be reviewed each year,
and added:
I'VE must not let disagreement
with details at this time pre-
vent full support Of the over
all authorization. Ample op-
portunitiy will be given to hear
the desires Of all interests prior
to the year-to-year (budget re-
quests
Gen. Prentiss said he believes
the actual water rates need be
increased no more than Is PEI
cent. and that the sewer tax need
be no more than SO per cent OF
the water bills. The higher
maximums are being announced
however. he said, as "a cushion
for emergencies"
The tentative total Of $780,
million announced last night
exceeds by $31.6 million the flg.
ure proposed last fall by the
citizens group headed by Franci.
G. Addison, .jr. That group.
$319.1 figure, which had GOV.
cred a six-year period, brok,
down this way: Highway, $685.
million; construction and santa.
tion, $113.5 million: sewers (botf
sanitary and storm. $40 million
and water and aqueduct, 1884,
million. The neWtsewer tax anC
increased water tax proposall
were originated by the commit.
tee. as well as the loan and gram
provisions.
After explaining the program
Gen. Prentiss urged the either
leaders to defer action on il
until we can present it to yol
in final and complete form. |"
Tight Timetable.
He then disclosed this tigh
timetable for getting the legisla.
tive proposal to Capitol Hill:
BY February Z. the city head
hope to have reviewed the health
and hospital construction report
BY February Is, they viii refel
the entire program to . newl,
formed citizens committee
A