New-York tribune., 1901-02-11
GROWTH OF WASHINGTON.
! A LIBERAL POLICY ADOPTED BY com
GRESS.
AND IMPROVEMENTS SOME CRITI-
CIsM OF LAVISH EXPENDITURES.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rsIBrNE.I

Washington. Feb 10.-Besides appropriating di
rectly of money for the erection Of nu-
merous imposing public edifces. like the Capitol.
the Treasury the State. War and Navy and the
Congressional Library buildings. counted among
the finest of their kind in the world. the National
I Government has step by step adopted the policy
| Of fostering the growth, beauty and future gran
! deur OF the Capital City by eXpendng hundreds OF
/ thousands II dollars of public money annually n
aid OF the local district government and municipaI
I enterprises Gererally-eXpendttures which In all
other American cities wholly borne by the local
taxpayers. who are the benehcar:es- mus II
happens that these other great cities. n addition
TO paying the expenses Of their own municipal I'M
provements and local government. are obliged >
contribute ard those of the city OF Washing
ton to the great relief OF !ts taxpayers and bust
ness Without dispute the Government is
bound to erect its own public buildings which are
the property OF the country at large II Is bound
also TO keep in order and improve the public
/ grounds in Washington which ii owns II Is
proper, too. that such mpr ''nents should be on
I a scale OF magnifcence and munific ence comInen-
surate with the National wealth and greatness.
Nobody caviis the liberal policy which has been
adopted by Congress in respect to these improve
/ ments Of the public property TO which the whole
! Nation contributes without murmur. There Is
already universal National pride ar tn start made.
/ The system now fixed is only In its infancy. Yet
the people OF the United States already perceive
that eventually in tant. beauty and grandeur the
system OF public buildings. monuments memorials,
etc, must go far beyond that OF any other nation
known in history
But the other policy OF paying wholly in part
all events. the expe-a Of opening and paving Wash
lngton's streets Of street lighting. assuming charge
OF the clty's system ot waterworks-in short. of
assuming the whole responsibility of !egislatng for
and administering the lo,al government I'm the
District OF Columbia with which Washington Is
now practically coeXtensive-that is entirely diff
ferent matter. II Is policy Of doubtful eXped-
Grey. End apparently inequitabe. For these
reasons II far from having the universal an
provai Of Congressman. and T. meets at times bit
ter opposition from the representatives OF remote
interior districts. where there only the vaguest
Interest i'm the capitals material advancement.
aside from the National requirements II has often
been antagonized By members from nearer States.
Great munciT alites like New-York Philadelphia
ard Boston. for instance. against which
charge Of Jealousy Of Washington lie look
askance policy which applies considerable
portion Of their tax contributions the National
Treasury 10 the promotion of aLother city's local
interests. II is held with good deal OF reason by
PEOPLE Of other localities who O posed 10 such
discrimination in favor Of Washngton's taxpayers
! that the National Government contributes more
than its share 10 the material and speculative in
| terests of Washington City-that is. to Washington
/ as munlcIpalIty-by the costly public
buildings which It Is erectin: without a dollars
| expense TO the town. without also putting its hand
into the public purse to defray expenses incurred
for ordinary and necessary improvements thus con-
| ftrring benefits local )ayers not enjoyed BY
ally other community in the Union
TWO SIDES To THE QUESTION.
But, Of course. there are two sides 10 this ques-
tion. Roth sides generally aired at each session
Of Congress. When the last District Of Columbia
Appropriation bill came up in the House for in
stance. Congressman from Missouri vigorously
opposed several Items for the promotion OF strictly
local interests. notably one appropriating money
out Of the National Treasury for the maintenance
Of a public library in the city ef Washington. for
which money had previously been appropriated to
provide a costly home. and another for a public
bathing beach on the Potomac River front. These
items were defended on various grounds. and sue
cessfuliy. the Missouri Representatives Efforts
proving Intellectual. But they nevertheless served
10 emphasize the growing Jealousy in the interior
OF the country OF policy which nures To- the direct
and sole benefit of the citizens Of Washington and
as Is alleged. without any National significance or
a1Nantage whateyer-a policy, in short. which
borne alone by those ~ Phiadeinbis H DurYoIs Yt
and other cities who cannot command the public
oIeasnty. Il ne essential point In controversy
clearly ehunciat'd by Representative Ruckor when
~ Programmed the principle that II Washington
besnb a., a @ free pubic library and free bathing
injuries Just the same other cities the Union
nanenanee Of the loeai 8irtr,c ,;Is 2io i0r
other Missouri Representatjve Mr S,o,rhs az
occasion To call attention to the fact that this sum
Tor that purpose In the small District OF Cohnbia
less than ten miles square exceeded the total
militia expenditures OF most OF the states being
exceeded only by the appropriations OF New-York
item successfully defended bv IN" nban,o ne
of paternalsm as absolutely necessary and even
moderate, on the ground that the National capital
was undefended by Government tToops a good naTt
local commands Notwithstanding tbes aoa 1 d,h dhbse
similar attacks. these items and many Others Ike
local interests OF Washington it being the captaI r
or the whole country. he fosfered nv tIn
Nation at large, and It's citizens must have certain
special privileges and mmunties in the interest
Of the whole because they exercise no right 80
franchise and have voice I'm their local govern
ment which: in fact. is administered by the Presi-
OF Mayor and Board Of Aldermen.
THE DISTRICT EXPENDITURES
Under this anomalous system which has become
feature. by tacit understanding Congress pavs
anout half the Districts annual expenses OF every
kind Those expenditures. however are largely
controlled by Congress. although the local admin
lstratlon Is vested in Board OF Commissioners
dent The reason Congress pays half the District
expenses is that the Governments properly I'm the
for this munifcence the National Government as
before stated insists governing the District II
sists on having Army officer with several RegI-
! lar Army assistants, I'm the Board of Commission
tary assistants. ir charge Of the public watnr
works, both wholly civilian duties These advan-
lages are enjoyed by no other city in the Union
| anus certain expensive duties satisfactorily per
formed in other municipalities by civilians at the
elty charge are here solely IN the hands of mill
tary ofheeTs. who are paid out Of the appropriation
FOR the Army. There is no denying that this Is
worst of it is that the scope of the abuse is con
stantly widening. and the National Treasure ia
more and more saddled with expenditures which
The Washington public. it is almost needless to
state very much likes the paernal attitude toward
the Capital City which has been assumed by the
general Government. II pays. The Government
has contributed immensely 10 many private fort
nne IN thls city by us open handed encouragement
OF the citys growth. Many private eDterprIses
have been greatly expedited at the National ex-
pense under this policy. II may be readily guessed
that there are no factions In the city when any
question Of local improvements at the National ex-
nicpality dwell In such brOtherly and nutIIal