The Washington critic., 1886-11-20
THE DISTRICT ESTIMATES.

The law which directs that the Dis
irict Commissioners shall submit their
estimates to the Treasury Department
"'in detail, and which, we are Informed
by Mr. Randall, the Commissioners are
bound to obey, is something like Presi-
dent Cleveland $ instructions to office
holders about "pcrnicious activity In
politics. Both are somewhat vague
and susceptible OF elastic interpreta-
lions. The trouble In the latter case
seems to be to discover where innocu
Gus activity in politics leaves of and
pcrnicious activity begins.
So with the District estimates, there
is evidently some misunderstanding rs
to where the line is to be drawn be.
tween estimates in general and esti.
mates in detail. The Commissioners
insist, and we think upon very just
and tenablo grounds, that they sulli-
ciently comply with the law in making
requisition of so much for street i'm.
provemcnts aud so much for school
buildings, without entering into minute
specifications which being imprlctica-
bic and more u matter of guess work
than demonstration, would as likely rs
not prove inaccurate and misleading.
To have submitted their estimates in
lump sum would, Of course, have
been at variance with the requirements
of the law. That would be a general
estimate. But the Commissioners did
nl. do this. Their position is, as quite
sMcinctly set forth in their com.
municaiion to Secretary Fairchild of
the 9th ult, that they made all the
subdivisions that were possible and as
much in detail as circumstances per-
mitted.
They ask a certain amount for
streets, but contend that it is out Of the
question to name with particularly each
improvement contemplated or tue pre-
else sum which each improvement will
cost. They state what will probably
be needed for school buildings, but not
being able TO forecast with eXactness
the number or character of such build
ings, or where they are to be located,
or what price will have to be paid for
their sites, they decline TO make the
attempt. 1t may be that they are
wrong, but their action certainly has
the appearance of being based on sound
business principles. 1t may not be dis
putcd that the law intends the closes.
possible regard to details IN the submis-
sion of estimates, but nobody can be-
lieve that il requires details which can.
not be specifically computed-least of
all those which are absolutely impossl.
bic.
Ii will be seen, however, from what
Colonel Ludlow says in today 5
CRITIC, that the Commissioners have
never intended anything buta strict OBJ.
servance OF the Law, and that what Mr.
Randall says concerning It is substanti-
ally correct. 1t is not to be presumed
that Congress will demand estimates
for each particular street TO be i'm.
proved, or each schoolhouse to be
erected, such us would be required in an
individual contract, but there need be
no apprehension Of any hitch or con-
troversy between the Commissioners
and the Committee.
The Commissioners not only thor
oughly understand, but appreciate,
their amenability to the law and their
duty to assist the Appropriations Com.
mittee to the full extent of their
power. Mr.. Randall will ask nothing
unreasonable nor will the Commission
ers withhold any information which
may help to facilitate the Committee in
its work, That seems to be about all
there is of the matter.