Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-29
The District Budget.

The Commissioners have prepared their
annual estimates on the proper principle.
Taking the most reliable forecast of prob
able revenues as the basis, they have in
GUIDED In the list of public improvements
all items of necessity without regard to
their chara cter. and have then scaled down
everything to approximate to the total in
come, with the government meeting every
dollar of District tax money with federal
dollar. But this process does not take into
account the S633,90S which will be due
frora the District during the year to meet
its obligations to the federal government
for money already advanced. The Com
missioners are wise in ignoring this liabil-
ity, which should not have been made a
charge against the current revenues, mas
much as the items for which the govern
ment's advance was made are in the nature
OF permanent improvements.
In short the Commissioners once more
present to Congress the sound proposition
that all great permanent works should be
paid for not out of the current income, but
out of a large fund Immediately provided
and gradually liquidated as the revenues
permit 1t is evident. that if these items
are excluded from the charges against the
immediate income the District will have a
pal maintenance. 1t can with comparative
ease take care of the current cost and meet
sinking fund obligations. But it cannot
keep out of debt and possible bankruptcy
e forced to maintain its ordinary expenses
while meeting the cost of such great works
as the filtration plant. the municipal build
Ing the municipal hospital the bridges
and the extension of the streets on the
"pay-as-you-go" plan.
Not even the federal government ever
engages in large undertakings involving
many millions of immediate expenditure
on the basis of immediate payment, or even
payment within three or four years. No
modern business corporation builds it's fac
tories its steamships or it's railroads on
this plan. The cost of work of a perma-
nent character. which will benefit posterity
in larger degree than the present genera
ton, is passed at least in part on to pos
terity 1t is. in fact, unheard of in modern
business for great projects to be paid for
spot cash.
Even if the District had a moderate sur
plus 1t would be unfair to the taxpayers
of today to spend all that money on a work
in the cost of which the future taxpayers
should equitably be made to share. But
the District has now no such surplus. 1t
has been already mulcted in large sums
for street extensions wholly at its expense,
In tie cost OF which the government should
rightfully have shared equally. This I'M
Just proceeding has not only wiped out It's
tempting margin, but reduced ii to point
of actual embarrassment. Last session
rather than do what good business man.
agement demanded as right and provide for
a systematic sinking fund scheme OF pay
ing off the heavy cost of large works. Con-
gress begrudgingly advanced the District
few hundred thousand dollars on very
short credit and then proceeded to require
the imposition of a heavy additional bur
den upon Washington's real and personal
property.
1t is to be hoped that the Commissioners
reasoning in the premises will appeal more
forcibIy to Congress this winter than it
did year ago. The projects named in the
budget are necessary and the natural in
creases in the maintenance funds are de-
manded in the interest Of good administra
ton. The District requires more police
men and fremen. more schools and teach
ers. a larger executive force. more pave
ments and their caretakers, and, in fact it
must expand in every department. If the
financial burden is properly adjusted on a
business plan and there is no further tin
the District will soon prove that it can
carry its share of the heavy burden of cap
ital maintenance as well as any other COM
munity could under similar circumstances.
Notwithstanding the many local handicaps.