TREASURY Department, BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your consideration and upon your approval for transmission to Congress, a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the District of Columbia, office of the recorder of deeds, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, amounting to $3,890. Contingent and miscellaneous expenses, District of Columbia, 1923: Recorder of deeds, for rent of additional office space for the office of the recorder of deeds of the District of Columbia from May 1, 1923, to June 30, 1924... For purchase of five book typewriters.. $2,100 1,790 The office space occupied by the recorder of deeds in the Century Building is wholly inadequate to carry on the business of his office. It is proposed to lease an additional floor in the building, making five in all. The increase in the work of this office requires additional equipment in the form of five book typewriters. Approval of this estimate is recommended. The PRESIDENT. H. M. LORD, Director of the Bureau of the Budget. Estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 8, 1923, by the District of Columbia. Contingent and miscellaneous expenses: Recorder of deeds, for the rent of additional office space for the office of the recorder of deeds of the District of Columbia, to be expended under the direction of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, from May 1, 1923, to June 30, 1924 (submitted). For the purchase of five book typewriters (submitted). Total.... $2,100 1, 790 3,890 O 4th Session. 1 No. 327. REPAIRS TO COURTHOUSE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING, TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOMPANYING LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, A SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1923, FOR REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COURTHOUSE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, $15,300, AND A DRAFT OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT AUTHORIZED TO BE PAID FROM THE POLICEMEN AND FIREMEN'S FUND. FEBRUARY 28, 1923.-Read; referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed. The PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, February 26, 1923. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, for repairs and improvements to the courthouse, District of Columbia, $15,300, and a draft of proposed legislation to increase the amount authorized to be paid from the policemen and firemen's relief fund. The details of this estimate and proposed legislation and the reason for their submission at this time are set forth in the letter of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, transmitted herewith, with whose comments and observations thereon I concur. Respectfully, WARREN G. HARDING. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 24, 1923. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your consideration, and upon your approval for transmission to Congress, a supplemental estimate of appropriation for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, for repairs and improvements to the courthouse, District of Columbia; also a draft of proposed legislation to increase the amount authorized to be paid from the policemen and firemen's relief fund. For repairs and improvements to the courthouse and the Court of Appeals $15, 300 This estmate is to provide for the necessary repairs and alterations to the courthouse and for necessary painting in the courthouse and in the Court of Appeals Building. The details of this estimate are set forth in a letter from the Architect of the Capitol, who is in charge of repairs and improvements to the courthouse, transmitted herewith. Poilcemen and firemen's relief fund, District of Columbia: That the appropriation of $250,000 made by the District of Columbia appropriation act for the fiscal year 1923, from the policemen and firemen's relief fund for the payment of relief and other allowances as authorized by law, is increased to $340,000 (act June 29, 1922, vol. 42, p. 692, sec. 1). The supplemental and deficiency estimates of appropriations for the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, and prior years, transmitted to Congress February 13, 1923, as shown by House Document No. 571, contained a request for legislation as follows: That the appropriation of $250,000 made by the District of Columbia appropriation act for the fiscal year 1923, from the policemen and firemen's relief fund for the payment of relief and other allowances as authorized by law, is increased to $300,000. The increase from $250,000 to $300,000 was computed on the basis of the current pay roll and the additional $50,000 was needed to pay the relief allowances as authorized by the law in effect at that time. An act entitled "An act to equalize pensions of retired policemen and firemen of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes,' approved February 17, 1923 (Public, No. 428), provides: That on and after the passage of this act all persons upon the pension rolls of the police and fire departments of the District of Columbia who were granted relief in accordance with laws enacted prior to December 5, 1919, shall receive such relief as is allowable under existing law, and all persons now or hereafter receiving relief from the policemen and firemen's relief fund shall also be entitled to all pension benefits resulting from any increase in pay that has or may hereafter be granted by Congress: Provided, That no arrears of pension shall be granted for any period prior to an application for an increase in pension under the provisions of this act: Provided further, That any widow entitled to relief from the policemen and firemen's relief fund may hereafter receive not more than $60 per month. SEC. 2. That all acts and parts of acts to the extent that they are inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed. The increased pension allowances under the terms of the act of February 17, 1923, covering the period between March 1, 1923, and June 30, 1923, computed on the basis of the allowance of the maximum pension in each case, will require an additional sum of $40,000 which was not anticipated at the time when legislation was requested to increase the limitation from $250,000 to $300,000. Approval of the above estimate and the proposed legislation is recommended. Very respectfully, The PRESIDENT. H. M. LORD, Director of the Bureau of the Budget. Gen. H. M. LORD, WASHINGTON, D. C., February 21, 1923. Director Bureau of the Budget. DEAR SIR: I acknowledge receipt of your letter of February 15, 1923, containing a copy of an estimate submitted by the United States marshal for certain special repairs to the courthouse in this city, the total of which is $19,300. I had previously submitted an estimate to the marshal in the same terms as set forth in the copy of letter which you supplied to me. To-day I made a personal inspection of the building for the purpose of ascertaining its exact condition, and find that owing to a previous lack of house-cleaning employees, supplied by the Department of Justice, the building has not been kept in the best of condition with the result that some renovation is necessary. I therefore propose to put in a cleaning force to thoroughly clean down all the walls and paint the woodwork. For that purpose I will require a sum not less than $8,000. Owing to the importance of immediately providing additional room for the district attorney's office, we will have to make two additional rooms by the construction of fixed partitions in the quarters occupied by the grand jury room, for which the sum of $3,800 will be required. It is necessary to construct a fixed partition in the quarters occupied by Justice Bailey, for which the sum of $500 will be required. The total sum for this section of the work is $12,300 instead of $19,300 originally estimated. I am also in receipt of a letter under date of February 17 from Mr. Rush L. Holland, Assistant Attorney General, requesting that an estimate of $3,000 be forwarded for the purpose of renovation in the Court of Appeals Building. Practically all of this will be required for doing the necessary painting to keep the building in first-class condition, and I recommended that this sum be forwarded in connection with the other estimate. I recommend, if it meets with your approval, that the entire sum, amounting to $15,300, be included in one item under the title "Repairs and improvements, courthouse, District of Columbia." For your information I inclose herewith copies of correspondence on the subject, not including your own. Respectfully, ELLIOTT WOODS, Estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923, by the District of Columbia. Repairs and improvements, courthouse, District of Columbia: For repairs and improvements to the courthouse and the Court of Appeals the Architect of the Capitol (act June 29, 1922, vol. 42, p. 698, sec. 1).. $15, 300 Amount appropriated for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 1923... 2,500 |