Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-13
The Revenues and the Needs.

Recent increases in tie Commissioners
estimates have brought the total closer to
the expected revenues 1t is gratifying to
note this nearer approach to the probable
income III the form OF estimates for certain
long-reeGed public improvements, specif-
ically named. thereby following in d meas
ure the policy that has obtained for years
in the submission of the local budget to
Congress. a curious shift has come n the
Interpretation of the law that provides for
the annual appropriations for the District
That law, embedded in the organic act of
ISIS. requires that the Commissioners shall
transmit to the Secretary of the Treasury
the regular annual estimates for the Dis
trict's reeds: that the Secretary shall re-
wise them. and then pass them 10 Congress
with his recommendations and that Con-
gress shall then make appropriations as it
may see fit. the following language being
used.
ITO the extent to which Congress shall
approve OF said estimates, Congress shall
appropriate the amount of 80 per centum
thereof; and the remaining 80 per centum
of such approved estimates shall be levied
and assessed upon the taxable property and
privileges in said District. other than the
property of the United States and of the
District of Columbia. ETC.
Thus. it was contemplated in the framing
of this act that there should be levied upon
the property of the citizens only sufficient
sum TO pay the Districts half of the actual
appropriations. This plan involved the ex-
haustion in meeting current needs OF what
ever fund might thus be raised Hence
the proposition that Congress intended to
expend upon the Districts needs all the
money raised by the District itself, mas
much as it was authorized to raise by local
taxation only the amount necessary for
local purposes. In the light of this, theory
the Commissioners in past years have SUBJ
United TO Congress estimates based prac:i-
cally upon the probable revenues of the
District. This course has been marked by
a change from the original device provided
by Congress for meeting the fiscal require
mentS of its ward. The cart has in effect
been put before the horse. Instead of ap-
propriating first and afterward assessing
upon the local taxpayers one-half of the
appropriation. the assessment has preceded
the appropriation Instead of adopting a
movable standard of taxation that would
produce changing sum of money from
year to year to meet the changing basis of
appropriations, a fixed rate has been chosen
ana the revenue has fluctuated according
to the various appraisements placed upon
the property by the assessors There has
been in a degree an effort to adjust the sum
realized to the probable demands of the
public requirements. but meanwhile Con-
gress has fallen into the habit of appro-
priating for the District. not TO the limit Of
the Districts tax revenues, as contemplated
by the act of 1878. but according to its own
notions of what is necessary and proper,
irrespective of local taxation. leaving the
revenues, the raising of which it has itself
directed. to exceed the requirements in
majority of cases. Obviously, it is desirable
to submit estimates approximating as
closely as may be safe TO the probable in
come of the municipality during the fiscal
year for which the appropriation is 10 be
made