Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-24
D. {. Studies
S39.6MiIIion
Works Cut
S32 Million U. S.
Shore Retained as
Building Is Sliced

by GRACE BASsETT
star star writer
The District Commissioners
today ordered their stats into
urgent conferences with Capt.
toll Hill aides In the face OF q
$685. million cutback In the
municipal public works pro-
gram.
The public works building
fund OF Si45.4 million for the
next six years was slashed to
$l05.8 million yesterday by
q Senate-House District Sub
committee for Fiscal Affairs.
The subcommittee chairman.
Representative Smith. Demo-
crat Of Virginia. told city heads
the tighter works schedule
would be eased by retention Of
q $50 million annual Federal
payment authorization In the
subcommittee's bill.
Loan Authority Retained
Also retained so far in the
pending works legislation Is
authority for the city to bor-
row 500 million. to be repaid
in 30 years. from the Federal
Treasury to finance construc-
ton. This may have to be
whitfield down to balance the
spending reductions ordered by
the congressional unit, aides
said.
I'VE simply don't know yet
how borrowing will be affected
by the cutbacks." Robert E.
Mclaughlin, chairman of the
Board Of Commissioners. said
today.
Balancing outgo and income
for the reduced program Is one
Of the jobs he assigned to Gen.
eral Administrations Director
Schuyler Lowe today. Mr..
Lowe was excused from the
regular board meeting to mus
ter budget advisers and get
verbal marching orders from
the subcommittee.
/ In a memo to city heads sent
late yesterday. Representative
Smith directed Commissioners
to redraft their works legisla-
ton to incorporate subcommit-
tee reductions.
10 Proposals Eliminated
Ten building proposals Of the
Commissioners we're specifically
eliminated by the Smith memo
randum. They we're:
A new Municipal Center TO
replace the old District Build
ing, at Fourteenth and E streets
NV, due to be RACED for COM
pletion of a Federal Triangle
of buildings downtown-sl7.-
$4,000.
A consolidated vocational
school-$ll. 384.6 800.
At the National Geological
Park. an antelope building.
$7l2,000: an administration
building. $452 900. and repair
for paddocks. $50.000-total
Zoo cuts $i,214.0O0.
An underground command
center for civil defense-$6, 900.
A proposed fourth police pre-
cinct in the Southwest-$895.-
900.
To Ask Boards Advice
In the library building pro-
gram, the Southwest branch,
$685., 900: and purchase of the
Palisades branch. $4,000 and
the Capital View branch. $780,
000-total library cuts. 1923, 600.
The remaining SO million
cutback should be distribu: ted
among the elementary schools
proposed by the Board of Edu-
cation and the Commissioners.
according to the subcommittee
action.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he
would ask the advice of the
school board today on precisely
what building projects should
be eliminated.
He made 1t clear the Subcom-
mittee action would hamper
development Of the elementary
school system" The elimina-
ton of the new Municipal Gen.
ter also leaves the Commission ..
ers facing uncertain courses Of
action.
II Congress gives Federal
Triangle plans a go-ahead. the
District will have no place to
relocate District Building ad-
ministrators. II Federal TRAN
gle development is blocked, the
District Building to continue to
serve as city hall must be re-
paired. perhaps at a cost of
81 million, Mr.. Mclaughlin
pointed out.
He expressed appreciation
for the Subcommittee action on
the $32 million Federal pay
ment. The payment now is
authorized at $23 million an
nually. But Congress last year
appropriated $40 million.
The Commissioners $685.