Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-30
Officials Take
=.
Varying Views
On D. {. Budget
Some Grateful for
Items Okuyed Others
DepIore Cuts

- 1eAAeA~N ANesSVAOAA VO0dy 8fOSb6O
the House Appropriations Com
mittee's version Of the Districts
budget for 1854. @ssz
There were expressions Of
gratitude for needs recognized
by the committee-such as more
nurses, more policemen and a
new Industrial Home School for
Colored Children.
At the same time, however,
some officials voiced concern
over unmet needs-Such as more
funds for tuberculosis control,
enough personnel to staff two
new welfare buildings, more case
workers to help prevent the
breakup Of homes.
Police Chief Robert v. Murray
was grateful for the provision of
100000 for 200 civilian guards
at school crossings and $345, 900
for more uniformed police.
Below Top Strength.
He said these proposed In
creases will help us" but would
still leave the police force ap-
proximately 100 men below auth
oriZed strength. The committee
cut the Police Department re-
quest by $564,16 but approved
an increase of $685. 1877 above the
current appropriation.
The committee rejected re-
quests by both the Police and
Fire Departments for money to
buy and maintain. radio equip
ment. The report pointed out
that authority for such pur-
chases already exists in the cleo
trical division of the Highway
Department. and this activity
might well be consolidated into
one Office" =: .
Aside from turning down the
radio request for the Fire De-
partment, the committee granted
the f1ref1ghters virtually all they
wanted, including a new engine
house at Forty-ninth and East
Capitol streets, four pumping en-
gines, a truck and three chiefs
cars.
Worried About Stating.
Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea was happy about the COM
>mittee'S approval of the new
Industrial Home School for Col
ored Children in the Children'S
Center at Laurel, Md, and funds
to equip the new Industrial Home
School for White Children and
the new hospital for the Home
for the Aged and Infirm.
But Mr.. Shea was worried
about how to staff the two new
facilities and how to house the
staff at the white Industrial
Home School. The committee
cut out the $470,000 requested
for staff buildings at the new
white training school. .,,.
Mr.. Shea said the $4,000
had been requested on these
grounds: That a limited number
Of supervisory personnel should
be on the school reservation at
Laurel. at all times in case
of emergency: that it has been
found difficult to recruit staff
which had to travel from Wash
ington or Virginia to the Laurel
center and that the precedent
for staff housing already had
been established when buildings
were built for staff at the Dis
trict Training School at Laurel.
The budget estimates for per-
sonnet included a request for an
increase in the staff of the white
Industrial Home School from so
to 80 to cope with the scheduled
increase of children from 1875 to
226. The second requested in
crease was to staff the new 344-
bed hospital at the Home for the
Aged and Infirm. The request
was for an increase from 1875 to
232 to care for an increase of
inmates from 500 to $50.
Would Cut Capacity.
Informed that the committee
had recommended an increase of
$3.50, 238, thereby reducing the re-
quested increase by $266. 1852, Mr..
Shea said he could not open up
both new facilities with enough