DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATION BILL. May 18, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. PAGE of North Carolina, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 15774.j The Committee on Appropriations, in presenting the bill making appropriations for the support of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, submit the following in explanation thereof: The estimates of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, upon which the bill is based, will be found on pages 1061 to 1177 of the Book of Estimates, and, exclusive of the amount for the water service, aggregate $15,182,196.34. The total amount recommended to be appropriated for the general expenses of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1917 in the bill submitted herewith, exclusive of the amount for the water service, is $11,631,907.34. The amount similarly appropriated for the general expenses of the District of Columbia for the current fiscal year (1916), including $90,323 to cover deficiencies, is $11,662,752.45, or $30,845.11 more than is recommended in the accompanying bill for 1917. The total reduction under the estimates submitted by the commissioners is $3,550,289. The bill requires that the whole amount for general expenses shall be paid out of the revenues of the District of Columbia to the extent that they are sufficient therefor, and the remainder out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. In addition to the total sum of $11,631,907.34 appropriated by the accompanying bill for general expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1917, and payable out of the revenues of the District of Columbia and out of the Treasury of the United States, as stated above, there is recommended for the water service, payable wholly from the water revenues, $262,830. The whole sum appropriated by the bill, including appropriations payable out of the revenues of the District and the General Treasury, respectively, and the appropriations for the water service, payable wholly out of the water revenues, amounts to $11,894,737.34, being $3,578,939 less than the estimates submitted to Congress, and $55,170.11 less than the whole appropriations made for the current fiscal year 1916. The total general revenues of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year 1917, it is estimated, will amount to $8,235,050. The foregoing sum is in amount $3,396,857.34 less than the whole sum of the appropriations made by the bill, exclusive of the water service. Certain appropriations made in the legislative, executive, and judicial and the sundry civil acts for past fiscal years, including salaries of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia, and maintenance of certain parks and hospitals in Washington, have heretofore been made payable one-half out of District of Columbia revenues. For the current fiscal year these appropriations amount to $494,710, and, assuming they will be no less for the ensuing fiscal year, it is proper to add one-half of that sum, or $247,355, to the excess of appropriations in the accompanying bill over the apparent District revenues for 1917, in order to determine the proportion of the general expenses of the National Capital that will be borne by the United States, as well as the amount that will be paid out of taxes levied upon the property and privileges of taxpayers in the District of Columbia, namely: Total amount for general expenses in accompanying bill.. Total.. Amount of District of Columbia revenues $11, 631, 907. 34 247, 355.00 The amount payable out of the District of Columbia revenues will be 69.3+ per cent of the total authorized expenditures, and 30.6+ per cent will be payable by the United States. WATER SERVICE. The committee have not deemed it wise to recommend a change in the act of 1863 (Stat. L., vol. 12, p. 805, sec. 3), constituting the water rates or rents collected from water users a fund to be expended exclusively for the maintenance, management, and repair of the system of water distribution in the District of Columbia or merging that fund into the revenues of the District. They do recommend, however, and provide, in the accompanying bill, that the expenses of the Washington Aqueduct, which brings the supply of water into the District, and its appurtenances, including the filtration plant, be hereafter paid from this fund, making the total specific charge thereon amount to $262,830 for the ensuing year. The water rates or rents for the fiscal year 1917 are estimated at $693,000, or $429,970 in excess of the proposed specified charges against the fund, which surplus, together with any unexpended balance, amounting, at the end of the last fiscal year to $143,151.29, will be applied, under a provision in the bill similar to one carried in each act during the last 24 years, to the work of extending the high service system of water distribution, under which indefinite appropriations of the water revenues there has been expended to July 1, 1915, $7,239,251.90. It is proposed hereafter to require detailed estimates under which to make annually specific appropriations for the extension of the high service system of water distribution, as is done with respect to all other details of the water service. The United States first undertook by an appropriation of $100,000, in 1853, "the purpose of bringing water into the city of Washington" and made additional appropriations out of the Treasury in varying sums from year to year up to and including 1879 for completing the work, including salaries, maintenance, and other expenses aggregating, with the first-named sum, $3,781,157. Since the passage of the so-called organic act of 1878, no appropriations have been made on account of the aqueduct and its appurtenances except on the half-and-half basis. As stated above, the expense of distribution of water to residents of the District of Columbia is borne wholly out of the fund constituted from water rates and rents. No charge is made against or collected from the United States or the government of the District of Columbia for water consumed. Under sections 1800 and 1802 of the Revised Statutes, the Chief of Engineers is charged with the immediate superintendence of the Washington Aqueduct and its appurtenances, and all appropriations therefor are required to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War. It is not deemed wise, nor is it proposed in making the expenses for maintenance of the aqueduct and its appurtenances payable out of water revenues, to change in any degree the requirements of sections 1800 and 1802 of the Revised Statutes. NEW EMPLOYMENTS AND CHANGES IN RATES OF COMPENSATION. The bill provides for 4,829 specific salaries, which is 91 less than the number estimated for and 144 more than the number appropriated for the current fiscal year. The specific changes in the number or grades of officers and employees of the District of Columbia government and their rate of compensation as compared with the current law recommended in the bill are as follows: EXECUTIVE OFFICE. In the commissioners' office the salary of one clerk is increased from $1,200 to $1,400; the salary of one clerk is increased from $1,300 to $1,500, and that of a storekeeper from $1,000 to $1,200, in the purchasing division; the salary of one assistant inspector is increased from $1,200 to $1,500 and another from $1,200 to $1,400 in the building inspection division; and the salaries of five assistant inspectors is increased from $1,000 to $1,200 each in the plumbing inspection division. ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. An additional clerk at $1,200 and another at $1,000 are provided for. AUDITOR'S OFfice. An additional clerk at $1,200 is recommended under the disbursing officer. OFFICE OF CORPORATION COUNSEL. The salaries of the second and third assistants to the corporation counsel are increased $200 each to $2,000 and $1,800, respectively, and an additional stenographer at $720 is provided for. OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF WEIGHTS, MEASUREs, and markETS. An additional assistant at $1,200 is provided for. ENGINEER COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. Salaries are increased of the assistant superintendent of trees and parking from $1,200 to $1,350, assistant engineer from $2,100 to $2,200, and of one clerk from $1,400 to $1,500; and provision is made for one clerk at $1,350 and two clerks at $1,200 each, now paid from lump-sum appropriations. MUNICIPAL ARCHITECT'S OFFICE. An additional engineering assistant at $2,400, and two clerks, one at $1,200, and one at $1,000, now paid from lump-sum appropriations, are provided for. The salary of one chief draftsman is increased from $1,700 to $1,800, and that of a driver from $540 to $600. STREET CLEANING DIVISION. An additional inspector at $1,100 is provided and the pay of an assistant superintendent is increased from $1,600 to $1,800. DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE. A deputy and examiner at $2,000 is provided instead of an examiner at $1,700, and the salary of a stenographer is increased from $720 to $840. SURVEYOR'S OFFICE. The salary of an inspector is increased from $1,200 to $1,275. PUBLIC LIBRARY. Salaries are recommended to be increased as follows: 1 librarian from $3,500 to $4,000. 1 assistant librarian from $1,500 to $1,800. 1 chief, circulating department, from $1,200 to $1,500. 1 assistant in charge of school work from $900 to $1,000. 1 librarian's secretary from $900 to $1,000. 6 assistants from $720 to $840 each. 6 assistants from $600 to $720 each. 3 assistants from $540 to $600 each. 3 assistants from $480 to $540 each. 1 copyist from $480 to $540. 1 cataloguer from $720 to $840. 2 cataloguers from $540 to $600 each. 6 attendants from $540 to $600 each. 5 attendants from $480 to $540 each. 1 collator from $480 to $540. 10 pages from $360 to $420 each. The following new employments are authorized: 1 director of children's work at $1,500. 1 Takoma Park branch librarian, $1,000. 1 attendant, at $720. HIGHWAY BRIDGE. The salaries of four watchmen are increased from $600 to $720 each. BATHING BEACH. An additional watchman, at $480, is provided. PLAYGROUNDS. Two additional watchmen, at $50 per month each, and 3 guards or 3 swimming teachers, at $60 per month each, for four months are provided. ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT. The salary of the electrical engineer is increased from $2,500 to $3,000. An additional assistant repairman, at $620, is provided in lieu of a cable splicer at that salary. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Additional teachers are recommended as follows: 1 assistant principal, who shall be dean of girls of the Central High School, $1,800. 1 director of penmanship, at $1,500. 1 assistant director of penmanship, $1,300. 1 assistant supervisor of manual training, $1,300. 12 teachers, at $1,000 each. 6 teachers, at $950 each. 6 teachers, at $800 each. 9 teachers, at $650 each. 6 teachers, at $500 each. One special beginning teacher in the normal school is provided, at $800 instead of $900. Additional librarians and clerks-one at $650, one at $600, and one at $500 are provided. Janitors are provided for as follows: New Central High School 1 engineer, $1,500. 2 assistant engineers, at $900 each. 1 electrician, at $1,000. 3 firemen, at $600 each. 1 coal passer, at $540. 1 janitor, $1,000. 1 assistant janitor, $900. 1 gardener, $840. 1 night watchman, at $720. 1 assistant engineer, $900. 1 coal passer, at $540. 1 janitor, at $900. 1 assistant janitor, at $840. 9 laborers, at $360 each. 2 charwomen, at $480 each. 1 night watchman, at $720. The salary of one janitor for the Western High School is increased from $900 to $1,000. For the McKinley Manual Training School, one night watchman, at $600, is provided instead of one assistant janitor at $720. |