Evening star. [volume], January 16, 1957, Page A-8, Image 8

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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A-8
•• THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D. C.
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THE BIGGEST YET, BUT BALANCED—District Budget Officer Walter L.
Fowler, at right facing camera, briefs reporters on the District’s huge budget.
To his right is D. P. Herman, Deputy Budget Officer.—Star Staff Photo.
D.C. Schools
Ask $44 Million
Continued From First Page
mended school figure of $43,-
979.500 is about $5.8 million
larger than the budget for the
current fiscal year.
The construction budget is |
spread over nine major projects,
with an additional $500,000 for
various permanent improvements ■
to present schools.
The most costly project is a
new $4 million senior high
school, to be built in the Con
gress Heights area in the South- <
east. The others are:
A $938,000 elementary school 1
near Texas avenue and C street
5. a $1 million elementary ;
school near Mount Olivet road
and Holbrook street N.E.; a
$563,000 addition to Taft Jun
ior High School, Eighteenth and
Perry streets N.E.; additions to
Payne Elementary, Fifteenth and
C streets S.E., and Moten Ele- i
mentary, Evans and Morris roads
6.
Also, site and plan money
for a new elementary school
near Tenth and F x streets N.E.:
playground space for a school
now under way at Fifty-sixth
and Eads street N.E., and a
$1,180,000 school warehouse to
be built near Adams street and
Queens Chapel road N.E.
The Commissioners turned
down proposals for a new school
administration building, replace
ment of Hine Junior High School,
and additions for Phelps and
Washington Vocational High
Schools and Randall Junior High
School. However, school officials
have proposed consolidating all
vocational schools in a new $lO
million building, and alternative
solutions to the problem of hous
ing the school headquarters also
are under study by the city.
Amidon-Greenleaf Delayed
A projected new Amidon-
Greenleaf Elementary School in
the Southwest was postponed be
cause of delays in redevelopment!
„of the area. In its place, the
Commissioners substituted the
projected Mount Olivet road
school.
School leaders regard the rec
ommended $1 million worth of
new elementary teachers as a
special milestone.
Officials plan next year to seek
whatever number of additional
teachers is needed to reach the
final goal of 30 pupils per class.
Commissioner McLaughlin told
The Star today that he could
rot predict what response this
will get from the Commissioners.
The city heads have acted only
with respect to one budget, he
said, explaining that no com
mitment has been made either
by himself or his two colleagues
to move on from 32‘pupils to the
school objective of 30.
He added, however, that as
far as the present three Com
missioners are concerned he feels
there will be no attempt to re
treat from the new figure of
32. Thus, assuming that Con
gress approves, the school system
by next September will have ac
complished two-thirds of the
class-size improvement program,
whatever happens afterwards.
Other Recommendations
Besides this major step, the
budget recommendations provide
for:
Eleven new vocational high
school teachers, including six to
man shops which The Star dis
closed last spring were unnsed
because of lack of staff.
Five remedial reading teach
ers, eight speech correction
teachers and three special teach
ers for the mentally retarded,
all for elementary schools.
Eighteen psychologists and
clerks and additional funds for
the testing program, to over
come a backlog in reporting on
test results and aid in diagnos
ing and correcting individual
psychological learning problems.
Six new elementary super
visors, doubling the present
total, to aid in improving ln
atruction throughout the city.
The lack of enough supervisors
was first spotlighted last spring
by The Star.
Funds to Entomb
'Unknowns' Asked
President Eisenhower today
Urged Congress to appropriate
$269,000 for expenses of entomb
ment next May in Arlington
Cemetery of Unknown Amer
icans from both World War II
and the Korean conflict.
Congress authorized such bur
ials by legislation enacted in
1946. The request for funds will
be submitted soon in the form
of a supplemental appropriation
to be available for this fiscal
srear ending June 30.
Budget Requests Advance
Federal Buildings Here
By HAROLD B. ROGERS i
Authorized lease- purchase :
Federal building projects here :
could be taken a step further
'towards construction if Congress
approves a presidential request
for funds to be used by the Gen- ,
oral Services Administration for 1
the purpose.
In his budget message today.' l
President Eisenhower notified! ;
legislators that he would send '
up a supplemental estimate of
$lO million to advance many
projects already officially listed
for action under the installment
plan of financing.
At least six big Federal proj
ects here, four of them in the i
Southwest area, have been ap
proved by both House and Sen- •
ate Public Works Committees 1
and sent GSA for action. ji
In addition to the Southwest
area projects, the others are for
a Civil Service Commission
; Building west of the Interior’!
Department and an office build- i
ling at Seventeenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue N.W. for I
the United States Court of 1
Claims, and other agencies. ,<
Sites Being Acquired
In the Southwest area, the Re- ,
development Land Agency last j
week started procedures to ac
quire large tracts for the four
new Federal office buildings, to
cost a total of about $69 million. i
Their details were disclosed last!
Friday.
Two other lease-purchase proj- i
ect. not yet finally approved, are 1
still pending on Capitol Hill i
awaiting agreement between the ’
House and Senate Public Works i
Committees on details. One is i
for the Geological Survey, the
other would be for both the i
Weather Bureau and the Coast:
and Geodetic Survey. l|
1 For extension and remodeling |
of the State Department Build- i
ing, the President recommended I
$7 million for next fiscal year,':
compared with $44,920,000 made I
available this year. The Presi-'i
D.C Billedsl2Million
For St. Elizabeths Costs
Despite a dropping number of
District patients at St. Eliza
beth’s Hospital, the Federal
Government has billed the city
for a $1,136,700 increase to pay
for them.
Tins will bring to $12,197,000
42 per cent—the amount ear
marked in the District Health
Department’s budget for the
coming fiscal year as a payment
to St. Elizabeth’s.
This compares with a total
proposed budget for the hospital
of $16,590,000 during fiscal 1958,
of which Congress is being asked
to finance $3,265,000 by direct
Federal appropriations.
The increase in charges to the
District results from a higher
daily patient rate at St. Eliza
beth's as set by the Budget
Bureau.
District budget officials noted
that these increases have offset
drops over the last two years in
the number of local patients.
During the 1955-56 fiscal year,
District patients dropped from
an average of 5,390 a day to
5,176 at the time new tranquil-'
izing drugs were being intro
duced in the treatment of
psychiatric cases.
Although the District saved
$175,000 that year, further sav
ings were blocked when the
Budget Bureau increased daily
DISTRICT VOTE AND DELEGATE
IN HOUSE URGED IN MESSAGE
President Eisenhower, who omitted his usual references
to voting rights for Washingtonians from his last state-of
the-Union address, recommended them to Congress today in
his budget message.
He declared:
"I recommend again that the Congress enact suitable
legislation providing for home rule in the District of
Columbia. Under any such system the citizens of the Dis
trict should be authorized to elect local officials, to vote in
Federal elections and to have a delegate in the House of
Representatives.”
Election of local officials and a delegate in the House
would be provided under a bill soon to be Introduced by
Chairman Neely of the Senate District Committee. The
Senate has regularly passed such measures in the last three
Congresses. They have died with equal regularity in the
House District Committee.
A vote in Federal elections would be provided by a
proposed amendment to the constitution Introduced in the
House by Representative Broyhill, Republican of Virginia.
The Virginia Republican has introduced another pro
posed amendment which would let Congress give the District
voting representation in Congress. This presumably was
not covered by the Presidential Indorsement, in view of Mr.
Elsenhower's support of the plan for a non-voting delegate
in the House.
dent laid the extension’s corner
stone January 5 on part of the
foundation already finished.
On Capitol HUi
To carry forward the big
building program on Capitol Hill,
'the President recommended $7.5
million for acquisition of prop
lerty, construction and equip
ment of the additional House
Office building.
For the big job of extending
the East Front of the Capitol,
no new funds were asked since
the sl2 million now available is
sufficient for the time being.
Congress was asked to appro
priate $587,000 to demolish old
greenhouses belonging to the
Botanic Garden on Independ
ence avenue and relocate them
in Anacostia.
Other budget items for public
building projects:
To continue the Bureau of
Standards establishment near
Gaithersburg. Md., $2 million.
Plans are being developed for
the big CIA project at Langley,
Va., the budget report said, with
jcontracts expected to be award
led late this calendar year. No
new funds were requested since
$49 million were appropriated
this year.
AEC Construction
The Atomic Enegry Commis-i
sion establishment is under con
struction in Maryland.
For additions on both the east
and west ends of the Natural
History Museum of the Smith
sonian Institution at the foot of
Tenth street on Constitution
avenue, the sum of SBOO,OOO was
recommended.
Plans are being made for the
authorized Museum of History;
and Technology of the institu-'
tion, the budget message re
ported. But construction can
not be started until temporary
buildings are removed from the
site on the south side of Consti
tution avenue between Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets N.W.
patient rates from $5.56 to $5.70
A further increase—ss.B4—was!
levied for the current fiscal year.;
Now', President Eisenhower's
annual budget to Congress dis
closes. the rate has been in
creased again to $6.46, or 62
cents more. Where District
budget officials had hoped for
a drop in payments to St. Eliza
beths, they had to provide for
the increase of $1,136,700.
Gallaudet Asks
Building Funds
Gallaudet College, providing
advanced education for the deaf
of the Nation, is asking Congress
for funds to complete the third
phase of an enthusiastic building
program. The fourth and final
I phase will follow later.
Specifically, the school has re
i quested $1.69 million to build a
. cafeteria and service building
, and a men's residence hall. Total
i cost of the building program
i $2,547,000 was appropriated last
■ year—has been set at $8.9 mil
. lion.
In its operating budget, the
school, located at Seventh and
I Florida avenue N.E., is asking
$730,000 for salaries and ex
! penses. A total of $615,000 was
.appropriated in fiscal 1957.
Capital Outlay
Budget for D. C.
Asks $47 Million
Construction projects for the
Distilct, totaling $47.4 million
were recommended to Congress
today by President Eisenhower.
| Os this amount, financing of
| $8.6 million in capital outlay
would be put off for another
year. Thus, the sum actually
proposed to be spent for District
public works (luring the next
fiscal period totals $38.8 million.
The capital outlay budget for
the current year amounts to!
$48.1 million.
Largest department item ls !
$22.2 million for highways. Next,
in order, are public buildings,!
$13.7 million: schools $8.9 mil
lion; water, $4.6 million: storm
j sewers, $4 million and sanitary
sewers $2 million.
Items Restored
One surprise in the construe-'
tion package was the Commis
sioners’ restoration of $192,000
for a chapel at the Lorton (Va.):
| Reformatory which had been
eliminated by the Budget Office.
Eliminated was $45,000 to pre-
Ipare for a new prison for new
adult males. This came with the
! beginning of a special study of
the possibility of expanding
parole and probation programs
sufficiently to avoid need for a
new prison.
Here are highlights of capital
outlay proposals for other de
partments:
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Washington Highlands
branch, Atlantic street S.W. near
South Capitol street, $437,400:
Fort Davis branch near Alabama
avenue and Thirty-seventh street
S.E., $491,400.
RECREATION
The budget includes a total
of $400,000 for various land im
provements. buildings and small
structures and night lighting of |
' recreation fields. This is the !
' same amount in the depart
ments current budget.
METROPOLITAN POLICE
Alterations to the Ford Build
ing. 451 Pennsylvania avenue
iN.W., to provide warehouse and
j garage facilities, $40,000.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
A total of SIOO,OOO to replace
the flreboat, William T. Belt.
Replacement for the repair
shop and Engine House No. 7
at First and One-half streets, K
and L streets S.W., $904,000.
Plans for a training school at
Blue Plains, near District Village,
on a site transferred from the
Welfare Department, $41,500.
Construction cost of $788,500 is
to be requested later.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Largest single item in this de
partment is $211,500 for District
General Hospital. This includes
$161,500 approved by the Budget
office to air condition and make
minor permanent improvements
at the hospital, plus an addi-!
tional $50,000 put in by the!
Commissioners for equipping
clinics for psychopathy and al
! coholics.
j Unchanged, however, was the
Budget Office’s item of $182,000
to expand laboratory and oper
ating facilities at Glenn Dale
Hospital and $178,000 to provide
a utility building for storage
space and equipment at that
institution.
The President’s budget reflects
the Commissioners’ reinstate
ment of a $40,000 item for a
survey of mechanical and utility
services at District General Hos
pital. Also included was $60,000
for equipment and dormitory for
resident physicians and internes
at District General Hospital. To
tal, $671,500.
PUBLIC WELFARE
More than half of the total of
$640,100 for this department—l
s3B6,6oo—would be allowed for!
permanent improvements at
Children's Center, Laurel. Md.:
; These include resurfacing of
roads, street lighting, extension
! of storm sewers, kitchens for
residence hall, water pump, sur
facing of play areas, heating
boiler, replacement of sanitary
sewers, replacement of steam
service and improvements to
electric system.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
An appropriation of $300,000
, is recommended for plans for
[ the West Administration Build
, ing of the District Government.
[ It is one of the first steps to
ward abandoning the old Dis
trict Building at Fourteenth and
' E streets N.W. The new struc
ture would be located just west
■ of the present Municipal Center.
1 A total of $680,000, including
| $34,000 for plans, is provided for
-a warehouse, shop facilities and
' record center at 2200 Adams
place N.E, in the vicinity of
: Queens Chapel road. Another
| appropriation of $40,000 is urged
! for miscellaneous improvements
; to existing buildings. Total for
1 buildings and grounds. $1,020,000.
The President’s budget follows
> the District Budget Office’s rec
ommendations in ignoring de
partment requests for $292,000
for an underground civil de
fense command center at the
Naval Ordnancee Laboratory,
White Oak, Md., and $20,000 for
plans for a workshop for 500
disabled persons.
Howard U. Budget
Tops $6.9 Million |
Howard University, with a total!
budget of $6,984,000, is request
ing Congress through the De
partment of Health, Education
and Welfare for appropriations
totaling $4 million.
The university, which 10 years
ago embarked on a building pro
gram, is requesting two capital
outlay items for the fiscal 1958
phase of that program.
The university is asking $262,-
000 to complete installation of
equipment in a new dental
school building and $150,000 to
start planning on two buildings,
one foi physical education anil
heme, the o’l*r fn. e'orcmlcs.
1,128 ADDITIONAL EMPLOYES
SOUGHT BY D. C. GOVERNMENT
The 1,128 additional employes sought for District gov
ernment for the year starting next July 1 would, if granted,
be the biggest job increase here since 1952.
The Government's total force would then come to more
than 22,000 with a payroll of nearly SIOO million annually.
Generally, the new positions would be created to staff new
institutions and to improve existing services.
Public schools would claim the biggest share—32s. The
Commissioners also approved 210 positions in the Health
Department. Public Welfare would get 189 new employes,
mostly for expanded facilities.
Completion of the first part of secondary treatment
facilities at the District sewage treatment plant will mean
138 new jobs to put the operation on a three-shift, 24-hour
daily basis.
Os the remainder of the total job increases—which
would cost $3.7 million—22 are for additional inspectors to
prosecute the urban renewal program, 38 mostly to staff
a new fire engine, rescue squad station in Southeast Wash
ington, and 11 to staff the new Women’s Bureau of the
Metropolitan Police Department. ,
2 Agencies Ask Funds
To Push Parkway Project
Funds faj- progress on Washington’s long planned George
Washington Memorial parkway were sought in the budget requests
of two Federal agencies today.
They were:
A $3.6 million request by the National Capital Parks Office
for the parkway. Os this, $2
million is earmarked for road
grading and structures on the
Maryland side of the Potomac
River between the District line
and Cabin John, and $900,000
for grading on the Virginia side
between Langley and Great
Falls.
A $3.8 million land acquisition
request by the National Capital
Planning Commission. Os this
sum, $1.9 million would pay the
Federal share of the cost of all
parkway land needed on the Vir
ginia side between Key Bridge
and Great Falls. The other $1.9
million would be to complete
Hand acquisition on the Mary
land side between the District
line and Great Falls, and south
of Washington from the District
Line to Fort Washington.
$2 Million Received
Conrad L. Wirth, National
Park Serivce chief, said his
I agency received $2 million in the
current year’s budget for GW
parkway grading between the
District line and Cabin John in
Maryland. The additional $2 mil
lion requested for the same pur
pose and area in the next fiscal
year, he said, will virtually pay
for the divided, four-lane park
way in that area.
Target date for construction to
start, Mr. Wirth said, is next
May 1.
He said a major reason the
job has not begun thus far is
that the parkway route requires
use of the D. C. Transit Co.
streetcar right-of-way for one
short stretch near Glen Echo,;
and that negotiations for the
land use have not been com
pleted.
$5.9 Million Total
The $3.6 million asked for
parkway construction is part of
a $5.9 million total in construc
tion jobs planned by NCP for
this area next year. A number
of the jobs include improve
ments to access roads leading to
Beach drive in Rock Creek Park.
During the last several years,
NCP has been concentrating on
improvements to Beach drive it
self, and on rebuilding bridges
that cross the creek.
Other major construction
items in the new budget include:
1. A new “water sports’’ cen
ter, including public and private
facilities for canoeing and row
ing. plus parking facilities. The
site will be near the Rock Creek
and oPtomac parkway at the
point at which Rock Creek en
FISCAL 1958 DISTRICT BUDGET
Department or Appropriation 1P57 1-ISR + <li ° r
. - Appropriation Estimates lll.is over 1857
Operating expenses:
Executive office .. . $323,000 $373,800 4- $50,800
- Department of General Administration _ 3,783,990 4,573,000 4- 789,010
Office of Corporation Counsel. 483,600 544,700 + 61,100
Compensation and retirement fund . ._ 11,100.000 —*11,100,000
Regulatory agencies ... 1.080,240 1,248,600 + 168.360
Department of Occupations and Professions 265,200 294,800 + 29 600
Public schools 32,670,750 37,730,000 + 5,059,250
Public Library ... 1,783.000 1.958,000 4- 175.000
Recreation Department 1.903,000 2.161,000 j- 258,000
Metropolitan Police 14,531,100 18,201,000 + 3,669,900
Additional municipal services, inaugural
ceremonies . 155,000 ... 155,000
Fire Department 6,755,000 9.036.000 + 2,281.000
Veterans Service Center 98,500 104,300 + 5,800
Office of Civil Defense 78,000 193,000 + 115,000
Department of Vocational Rehabilitation 147,000 201,100 + 54 100
Courts 4,370,850 4,521,000 + 150,150
Department of Public Health _ 25,694,920 28,710,700 + 3,015,780;
Department of Corrections 4.710,000 5,328,000 4- 618,000
Department of Public Welfare 11,092.500 12,566,000 4- 1,473,500'
Department of Buildings and Grounds 1,780,000 2,086,000 4- 306,000
Office of Surveyor 170,000 180,900 4- 10,900
Department of Licenses and Inspections 1,658,000 1,902,000 4- 244,000
Department of Highways 6,535.000 7,232,000 4- 697,000
Department of Vehicles and Traffic 1,303,000 1,369,000 4- 66,000
Motor Vehicle Parking Agency 295,000 602,900 4- 307,900
Department of Sanitary Engineering 10,896,200 12,310,000 4- 1,413,800
Washington Aqueduct 2,137,000 2,256,000 4- 119,000
National Guard 145,500 155,300 4- 9,800
National Capital Parks 2,535,000 2,762,000 4- 227,000
National Zoological Park 720,000 798,000 + 78,000
Personal services, wage-scale employes 943,000 943.000
Judgments, claims and private relief acts 45,742 45,742
Operating expenses, by funds
General Fund 135,103.031 143,129,732 4- 8,026,701
Highway fund 7,791.525 8.143,599 + 352.074
Water fund 5.179.370 5,459,801 4- 208,431!
Sanitary sewage works fund 1,707,366 1.973,668 4- 266,3021
Motor vehicle parking fund 407,800 692,300 4- 284,500
Total, Operating Expenses $130,189,092 $159,399,100 4- $9,210,008
Capital outlay:
District debt service $394,500 $572,000 4- $177,500
. Public building construction 14,479,529 13,734,000 745,529
Department of Highways 14,668,000 22.612,000 4- 7,944,000
Department of Sanitary Engineering 15,068,000 9,568/100 5,500,000
Washington Aqueduct 3.500,000 958,000 2,542,000
Total, capital outlay $48,110,029 $47,444,000 — ~ 5666.029
District of Columbia, by funds:
General fund $153,681,560 $161,623,732 4- $7,942,172
Highway fund 22,659,525 30,355,599 4- 7.696.074 1
Water fund 13,384,870 10,114,801 - 3,270,069,
Sanitary sewage works fund 8,165,366 4,056.668 4,108.698'
Motor-vehicle parking fund . 407.800 692.300 4- 284,500
Total, District ot Columbia $198,299,121 $206,843,100 + $8 543.979
•Thb amrunt distributed to the department* or appropriations directiv connected with the
| compensation benefits. Civil Service retirement costs are distributed to each department
ters the Potomac River. Funds
to begin project: $214,500.
Overpasses Planned
2. Start of overpasses of
Twelfth street S.W. for the two
Mall roads which run from the
Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Eventually, these roads will be
looped around the Washington
Monument grounds and also will
overpass Fourteenth street
Amount: $618,800.
3. New elevator for Washing
, ton Monument. $120,000.
4. A new public riding stable
in Rock Creek Park, in the area
east of Oregon avenue between
Military and Bingham roads,
$90,000.
In addition to the $5.9 million
for construction, NCP is asking
$1.3 million for general operat
ing expenses and $1.3 million
for routine maintenance work.
Operating expense increases will
permit 11 new Park Police,
i The $3.8 million requested by
the Planning Commission to buy
land for the GW parkway, mean
while, is part of a big $5.6 mil
lion land acquisition program
set by that agency for next year.
The commission also wants $l.B
million to improve District parks
and playgrounds, and $379,000
to extend the stream valley park
system in nearby Maryland.
,
Industry Sets
Record Output
By th* Associated Press
Industrial output set an all
time high in December as prices
of industrial commodities con
jtinued to advance, the Federal
Reserve Board reports.
The board, said yesterday its
industrial production index last
month reached a record 147 per
cent of the 1947-49 average.
This was a gain of 1 point over
November and was 3 points
higher than December a year ago.
For the entire year 1956 the
index averaged 143, the board
said. This was 4 points or 3 per
cent above industrial production
for 1955.
| The board noted that in De
cember total construction activ
ity continued to rise, non-farm
employment remained at record
levels and incomes again moved
up. It said retail sales remained
close to the record dollar volume
of November.
D. C. Roads Budget
Asks $22.6 Million
By GEORGE BEVERIDGE
A record-breaking $22.6 million Washington road construc
tion program is proposed in the Distilct Highway Departments
budget for the next fiscal year.
The massive building program includes money for three new
bridges, major improvements to existing city streets and substan-
Budget Cites
Wafer Needs
About one-eighth of the Dis
trict’s proposed budget for fiscal
1958 is devoted to getting potable
I water into the city and waste
[water out of it.
The total cost comes to $25
million.
The Commissioners’ recom
mendations provide for some
$14.5 million for operations and
$10.5 million for new construc
tion. Even though the operation
cost is up by $1.5 million, the net
i cost for the water supply disposal
item is $6.5 million less than the.
j appropriation for the current
fiscal year.
The reason for the net reduc
tion is that two major construc
tion projects, long a-building,
last year received the last of the
money that was coming to them.
These are the Little Falls Dam
pumping station and tunnel to
! better the city’s fresh w'ater sup
ply and the first stage of the
secondary treatment installation
at the sewage treatment plant.
Both are due for completion early
next year
Water Projects
The construction recommenda
tions call for $4.5 million for
water purification and distribu
tion system improvements in
cluding :
1. The first part of the new*
crosstown watermain extending
from the Dalecarlia filter plant
’across the city and the Anacostia
River and extension of that line
through the Southeast area, cost
nearly $2.5 million.
2. Water mains for the South
west Redevelopment area, re
construction of which is to be
gin soon, $200,000.
3. Water main for the Foggy
Bottom section, another urban
renewal area, $146,000.
4. Settlement basin for new
water at DaleCarlia, $768,000.
Sewage Items
For storm-water - sanitary
sewage disposal and trash re
moval the Commissioners have
j asked for an appropriation of $6
million. The requested items
include:
j Improvement of the sewer
system that carries rain water
from the city streets, $4 million.
The sum would include con
struction of such sewers as those
required by the Southwest Re
development area, various sec
tions of Northwest and North
east Washington, as well as the
Oxon Run drainage area.
The proposed budget also
allows $150,000 to acquire a site,
somewhere in the Northeast, for
the District's fourth trash in
cinerator, and SIOO,OOO to build
a seawall on the Anacostia River
to tidy up the Sanitary Engi
neering Department’s warehouse
and equipment area.
Southwest Redevelopment also
would get a $450,000 appropria
tion to build new sanitary sewers
—separating these flows from
storm water flow’s—an important
step toward abating pollution in
that section of the Potomac.
tial progress on ambitious plans
for new expressway systems.
The three bridges and amounts
requested for them are:
Potomac River bridge at Con
stitution avenue. $350,000 to
start construction.
Replacement for the old
trestle-topped Fourteenth street
Potomac Bridge, $365,000 to start
construction.
New Eleventh street <Anacos
tia River) bridge, $2 million, of
which $1.4 million is to begin
construction. This new span
would be parallel to the existing
Eleventh Street Bridge, just up
river from it. Each of the
twin spans would carry one-way
traffic.
Thus far, at least, no prob
lems are in sight for the
Eleventh Street Bridge.’ Addi
tional authorizing legislation,
however, is needed before money
can be spent on the other two
spans.
Draw-Span Issue
Legislation is on its way to
Capitol Hill to permit the Con
stitution avenue bridge to cross
Roosevelt Memorial Island, and
proposing that the bridge have
no draw span. The draw-span
issue snagged this legislation last
year, with House forces favoring
a draw span to benefit naviga
tion and Senate members hold
ing out for a fixed-span bridge.
While not a part of the District
budget, still another Potomac
bridge the Woodrow Wilson
memorial bridge at Jones Point,
Alexandria—also may get under
way during the next fiscal year.
Funds in the Federal budget call
for final design plans, land acqui
sition and grading to start dur
ing the next fiscal year, with
major construction in the fol
lowing two years.
Maintenance Decision
The Jones Point money can’t
be spent, however, until Mary
land and Virginia agree, under
terms of the law, to maintain
and operate the bridge. The two
States want the District to share
in the expense, and this issue
may again wind up on Capitol
Hill this year. In addition, the
Army Engineers must decide
whether navigational clearances
the law sets for the bridges are
adequate before construction can
start.
In addition to the three
bridges, the following are the
projects which make up the Dis
trict’s $22.6 million program:
1. Anacostia freeway, to start
construction and land acquisi
tion from Jones Point Bridge to
East Capitol street along Ana
costia River, $l.B million.
2. Southwest freeway. $2 4
million. This would supplement
funds already available to begin
this freeway along the line of F
street S.W. between South Capi
tol street and the Fourteenth
street bridges. It is part of the
inner loop road system.
3. Inner loop expressway sec
tion between South Capitol street
and Fourth street S.E., $4.9
million.
Foggy Bottom Area
j 4. Land acquisition for inner
loop expressway section between
Washington Circle and E street
N.W. in Foggy Bottom, $3,750,000.
5. Rhode Island avenue, start
of widening between Logan Cir
cle and the District lie, $825,000.
6. South Capitol street under
pass at M street, $530,000.
7. Divided-highway extension
of North Capitol street through
the Soldiers Home grounds be
tween Michigan avenue and Ha
waii avenue, $850,000.
8. General street improve
ments, $4.2 million.
9. Improvement of street-light
ing system, $412,000.
10. Highway planning and sur
veys for future project*, $190,000.
Rate Unchanged
For Indigent 111
The District Health Depart
ment and private hospitals here
failed again this year to win
higher payments for indigent
care under the medical charities
program in the President's
budget message.
The message to Congress notes
increased costs in Federal institu
tions here but not in the volun
tary hospitals.
For the third successive year,
the Health Department had re
quested that the payment per
day for indigents treated in
private hospitals be rased from
: sl4 to $18.50. The Washington
Hospital Council says that the
actual cost averages $25.83 per
day for a ward patient.
The message does include,
however, requests for an increase
in payments by the District for
indigents treated at Freedmen's
Hospital, a Federal institution.
The over-all recommended
Health Department budget totals
$28,710,700 as compared to the
current fiscal year’s budget esti
mate Os $25,743,885.
The sum of $300,000 was
estimated in the budget as pay
ments to Freedmen’s Hospital by
the Health Department, the
same amount as was allowed for
the current fiscal year.
However, the proposed budget
does not take into consideration
the fact that the rate per day
at Fi eedmen's has gone up from
! sl4 to $18.50. A Health Denart
[ment spokesman dcclaied that,
! “We will Just have to send fewer
patients there.”
The budget message aiso pro
posed a . ,n that Freedman's be
j tmisferred to Howard Unlver
* sitj* and that provision of new
facilities be authorized