Evening star., 1901-12-16
Deficit.
$5,Oss.00
716,155.38
(prospective)
or actual
$500, ,1S2.57
Extraordinary Burden,


The Commissioners, it is said, take the
stand that the revenues of the District
would have been ample for it's share Of the
general expenses of the District last year
and would be ample now. If 1t had not been
for the diversion in the last seven years
of over one million eight hundred thousand
dollars for the so-called Lydecker tunnel
and the purchase Of land for street extern
sions in the latter case leaving an addi-
tional charge exclusively on the District
revenues of a million dollars more in round
numbers. If this money had not been so
diverted by Congress all the necessary in
creases in the regular appropriations for
the different departments of the District
government could have been easily made
from year to year, together with full pro-
vision for the natural increase in street and
other improvements.
Under the compact Of 1878' Congress
should have appropriated dollar for dollar
from the federal treasury against this
amount of District tax money, and II that
had been done not only the general develop
ment OF the District might have been car
r1ed on, but one or more of the larger pro-
Jects of improvement could have been part.
ly or entirely completed. 1t Is assumed.
however, that no one in Congress or else
where has thought that the District should
furnish an exception to the universal rule
that extraordinary works of Improvement
of large cost, and which are to benefit nc g.
terity, are to be provided by anticipating
1t would obviously be impossible to meet
such extraordinary expenditures In any
other way. Such projects. for example, as
the enlargement Of the water supply, the
construction of a sewage-disposal system
cannot be paid for out of the current reye-
nues.
district Government Not RESPONSIBLE.
1t ought to be clearly understood. there
fore. first, 1t Is pointed out that the Dis
trict government has not brought the Dis
trict into debt On the contrary. caref,,,
and economical administration of the Dis
trict government, taken with the fact that
congress DID not see fit to appropriate from
year 10 year an amount equal to the Dis
trict revenue, brought about an accumula-
ton of that revenue to the amount Of over
N,SOO.O0O Second, that Congress appropri-
lily prompt payment Of the tunnel debt, and.
second for the purchase of land for street
extensions. entirely at the Districts cost.
Ihird, that the time having come for large
TO anticipate the revenues for such pur-
poses instead Of trying to do the impossi-
Die thing OF meeting their cost out Of cur
rent revenues.
trict. The apparent deficit ought not to
have existed. and would not have existed 81
the half and half rule Of appropriation had
been strictly regarded: or. IL no new
projects of Importance had been begun As
1t Is, however, provision must be made to
anticipate the revenues in order to carry
on the government of the District and pro-
vide for general development. The Conn
missioners say it should preferably be
made By a continuance Of advances from
the federal treasury. though without in
terest. At the same time 1t would be only
equitable for Congress to make good to the
District by direct appropriation from the
federal treasury, or cancellation of the Dis
trict obligations to 1t, the amount which 1t
should have appropriated under the half
and half principle OF the compact of 1878. =
The Tunnel appropriation.
The auditor of the District says in his