Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-24
Section Fifteen in New Guise.

The Senate should keenly scrutiniZe the
hill nassed Monday by the House providing
for a federal advance to the District OF
money to meet the deficit caused by the
street extension laws. Aside from the ques-
ton Of interest, the bill it stands con-
tains a clause which should be promptly
amended. This provision now reads:
provided. that nothing contained herein,
nor In the act of June g, $780, entitled An
act to regulate the collection of taxes IN
the District of Columbia shall be so con-
strued as to require the United States to
bear any part of the cost OF street extern
sions. and all advances heretofore or here
after made for this purpose by the Secre-
tary of the Treasury shall be repaid in full
from the revenues Of the District of Co
lumbia, except in cases where the terms OF
the appropriation under which such ad-
vances are made shall expressly provide for
payment jointly by the United States and
the District of Columbia.
When the fifteenth section of the general
highway extension act was repealed the
District was relieved Of a great menace.
That section was blanket provision
placing the entire cost of street extensions
for all time upon the District. Notwith-
standing this acknowledgment Of the Dis
trict's right in the premises by Congress,
the houses proceeded forthwith to enact
separate street extension laws. each con-
taining the same provision, thus accom-
plshing by items what the fifteenth sec
ton of the general law proposed to ac-
complsh by wholesale enactment.
The result of this process was that where
as the District still stood to pay all Of the
cost of the street extensions actually Or
dered, Congress had imposed upon itself
! the necessity Of specifically exempting the
general government from participation in
| the payment in each case. It was locally
| believed that the ultimate effect Of this
| process might be lapse by Congress at
| some time which would confess the un-
| righteousness of the whole procedure and
| perhaps accomplish. if not complete restitu-
| ticn, at least Immunity from further en-
| croachments upon the organic act.
| If the bill now pending becomes a law in
its present form it will no longer be neces-
sary for Congress specifically to provide
| for federal i'm nunity in each case, and the
general rule of national non-participati ton
| declared by the repealed section fifteen
will have been restored in full effect in the
| statute books.
Nor is the clause entirely clear as to the
| character of TIE extensions which are to
| fall under this blanket provision. 1t mere
| ly exempts the federal treasury from re-
/ sponsibility for any part of the cost OF
| street extensions No line is drawn be-
| tween the extension of suburban streets
| and of streets Of such extension be pos
| sible) within the city limits. No assurance
is given that this provision might not be
| construed to exempt the government from
| a share in the cost of making the street
after the land for the right of way has
| been secured wholly at the expense Of the
| District. Indeed. the clause opens up posi-
bilities of a radical change in the entire
| responsibility for the proper expansion OF
| the capital. without regard to boundary
| lines.
| There would be no objection, concedine
| that the cause of the District as to the
| street extensions already ordered on this
| unfair basis is hopeless, to a restatemen,
! of national immunity from responsibility
| for such work has been already specifi-
| cally provided for by law, exclusively at
| local expense. But there is decided objec-
| ton to allowing this measure of righteous
| relief for an unjustly precipitated financia
| crisis to be utilized as a means to enable
| the government to re-establish the iniqui.
| tOus general principle that henceforth anG
| for all time the nation will evade the pay
] nent IF its just share Of the cost of max
| ing and maintaining the federal capital be.
yond Boundary street upon national basis