Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
The District Bill.

The conferees on the District bill reduced
its total that 1t carries only slight in
crease over the current law. the Senate re-
Ceding from larger proportion of increases
than the House desisted from opposing.
One single item, however, accounts for
large share of this difference, namely, the
filtration appropriation. which the Senate
increased from $500 900 to S1.20OOOO, but
which the conferees restored to the
original figure. 1t appeared that the
smaller sum is practically all that
can be economically expended during
the coming year, so that the Topping
off of more than half million does not
represent an actual checking of any large
public work As usual the District will be
given only a part of the increase in clerical
and police and fire forces demanded by the
growth of the municipal business. and the
public schools will be granted less expan-
sion in the form of additional buildings and
teachers than the steady increase in the
population requires. In the line of street
and sewer improvements the advances are
normally curtaied just falling short of the
real needs of the District.
AS was generally anticipated, the Senate's
substitute for the re-enacted personal tax
law remains in the bill. with some changes
which adjust it's provisions somewhat to
the business necessities of the District.
And So despite the protests of the District
that it preferred to raise its tax money by
other means, Congress insists upon requir-
ing that a part of its revenues be derived
from personal property. The fact that the
new law is infinitely more acceptable than
the drastic law re-enacted by the House
does not altogether remove the prejudice
of the local taxpayers against this form of
assessment. 1t remains to be seen how 1t
will work out in practice. how far 1t will
lead to perjury and the concealment OF
property, how much distress it will cause,
how much revenue it will raise when all
exemptions are granted and the full ma
chinery of assessment and collection has
been set at work
The federal advance provision comes out
Of the conference in substantially the same
form as that proposed by the Senate. The
only change is the addition of provision
that the money thus loaned by the govern
ment to the District shall all be repaid
within three years from June 30. 1903. or
four years from the present. This puts the
advance upon a somewhat more definite and
therefore more satisfactory basis than be-
fore. although it falls short of the hopes
Of progressive District citizens who desired
Congress to eStaDllSh at one stroke tne
machinery for defraying the extraordinary
expenses properly attributable to the Dis
trict incidental to capital development on
a national scale. The arrangement as final
" shaped will be merely a means of insur-
ing a sufficient revenue to meet the cur
rent appropriations. some of which are of
the nature which should be provided for
on a lOrg-term basis.
Taken altogether the bill is neither as
bad nor as good as it might have been. 1t
euaCts the personal tax law, against which
the District protested. but in a far more
satisfactory form than was at first pro-
posed. 1t provides for certain large better
ments. somewhat removed from the imme
date payment plan. but yet not sufficiently
SO as to avoid throwing a heavy burden
upon the present taxpayer. 1t preserves the
average of semi-sufficient provision for the
growth of the capital. leaving much to be
hoped for and something TO cause gratitude.
1t continues certain distinct mira ctions of
the organic act. fails to cure those of the
past which have precipitated the Districts
present financial troubles, but perpetrates
no new violations. Time alone will demon
strate how much permanent harm is done
to the District by the legislative enactments
this r1ea sure carries