Evening star., 1902-01-23
Mr.. Cannon on Capital Improvement

nenfs. according To tenor puFpObe
Mr.. Cannon on Capital Improvement.
IN the course of his speech at the annual
reception Of the Washington Board of
Trade last night. Chairman Cannon OF the
House appropriations committee dwelt upon
the prospect for the grander Washington
which is opened b. the preparation of the
park commissions great project Of capital
improvement. He intinated that the ra-
pidity Of the execution of the plan would
depend upon the degree In which the Dis
trict raised money by taxation upon real
and personal property in such amount
10 meet its half Of the expenses connected
with the working out of the scheme. The
District, he said. could set the pace by
raising large or small amount by taxa
ton wherewith TO provide the means for
these improvements. It Is not to be as
sumed that Mr.. Cannon intended 10 take
any appropriations which have been hereto
fore treated as exclusively national out of
that category and place one-half on the
District. To the extent that he meant to
imply that In all matters strictly of mu-
nicipal nature connected with the plans for
the development of the capital. Congress
would respect the organic act and divide
the expenses evenly with the District. this
Of Washington 1t may be taken to mean
that Congress, for which Mr.. Cannon has
Some authority to speak. will abandon its
disposition to load the entire expense OF
the municipality upon the local shoulders
regardless Of the terms and the spirit of
the act of 1873 THIS disposition evidenced
Itself in 1891, when 5000 for a bathing
beach was appropriated exclusively out Of
the District revenues: in 1893, when $4,000
for the entertainment of the G. A R. was
similarly appropriated, and $4,000 was
taken for street extensions; IN 1891 to the
extent of So, 800: in 1895. Sl799 in 1885,
S121 6ss; in 1897, $4,000: in 1898. $3.50. .576;
In 1899, s235, ,4G5; in 1900 1901, ,232, and last
year s451325, all for street extensions, a
Total in the course of single decade of
over s1,50O000 which the government should
have divided evenly with the District.
An abandonment of this policy of violat-
ing the organic act. as sugges sted by Mr.
Cannon's words last nigh,. woull be in the
last degree reassur>n-- TO Washington. which
would willingly assume It's share of the
cost of the very few municipal features of
the park improvements, and would conf
IDENTIFY expect the government to pay ex-
ciusiVeiy for Its legitimate portion of the
works, such as the provision of the needed
government buildings and memorials and
the architectural and landscape embellish-
ment of the government parks.
In another respect this statement by Mr.
Cannon is gratifying. He practically as
sured the District that to the extent that
it raised revenues the federal government
would promptly respond with equal sums
for the execution of the Improvement
plans In other words. the government
will permit the District to expend annually
its full sum Of revenues upon the large
projects Of local beuterment, on the half
and-haf basis This will mark another
departure from the past practice. which
has prevented the District from expending
its full income, in further violation of the
terms of the organic act. In consequence
Of this policy the District was forced to
accumulate in 1890 surplus of slO5a12
which 1t would have preferred to expend
upon items Of municipal maintenance ard
improvement. but which Congress was not
willing to match. dollar Tor dollar: In 1891
a surplus Of S112.210 in 1898 surplus of
$S5,i6I, in 1894 a surplus Of Se25 207 In 1895
a surplus Of s429,090 IN 1895 a surplus of
sS4o.3Sa, in 1897 a surplus OF s6S3, ,936, In
1898 surplus of sel7,5s1. In 1859
a surplus Of s6O3. .255 and in 1880
surplus of 1881, 1,5T7 Then the
surplus vanished. for Congress, lured by
these recurring annual balances, had pro-
ceeded with the wholly on the District"
appropriations until the burden was too
heavy for the local revenues TO support
and the deficit made It's appearance
The District Is willing enough to raise
by taxation a sufficient sum to defray its
half of all its legitimate current and ex-
traordinary expenses. II has never In the
past demurred to either just taxation prop
ositions or to generous appropriations of
the money thus raised. when accompanied.
dollar for dollar, by federal money. 1t
welcomes the day. promised by the words
used last night by Mr.. Cannon when II
shall be permitted to spend all 1t may raise
along with the government In the making,
maintaining and the development of a cap
ttal which shall be the pride Of all Amer
leans, and 1t does not shrink from the
prospect that its share of the equally
borne burden will become annually heavier
as the taxation assessment increases. Mr..
Cannon will find the people Of the District
heartily with him in any move he may
make to put this sentiment into practical
execution II Congress will pledge itself
to let no more annual surpIuses form, the
District will have the strongest incentive
to make Its annual revenue as large as Dos
siole- But something binding or at least
significant and tangible. might reasonably
De expected from Congress on this point
before the local taxes are permanently in
creased TO provide the additional revenues
suggested.
The Gb9kssnaara-Ra1ar.