Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-02
An Unsatisfactory Budget.

The district appropriation bill comes out
of conference and goes upon 1.-The statute
books In about as unsatisfactory shape as
could well be imagined, from the stand
point of the capitals general welfare, its
immediate prosperity and its future ad-
vancement. 1t is not only cut down In
amount beneath the point of actual neces-
sty In the line of current provision. but 1t
is so framed as to fasten firmly on the DIS
trict the principle of paying out OF current
revenues for great permanent works The
shadow of a pledge of advance federal
moneys to the local funds to meet even on
short-te term credit basis these extraordinary
demands remains in the bill, but it Is only
a shadow, after all. its substance having
been taken from 1t by the reduction in the
Senate's increases of the current allotments
by approximately one-half.
An analysis Of the conference report leaves
little but chagrin and disappointment to
the public-spirited Washingtonian as well
as the overburdened taxpayer The great
projects are all to go forward on cash
payment basis, one of them, the filtration
plant, being increased in its cost limit to
meet the necessities of rising material
market. To this increase the District enters
no demurrer, 1t being apparent that unless
the limit is raised there will be no filtering
of the Potomac water for several seasons
In view Of the wide spread of typhoid fever
last autumn and The danger of a recurrence
of the, epidemic next fall this increase is
cheerfully acceded to, even though it in
tensifes the difficulty of the situation.
Take the Police Court building as an in
stance of the manner in which the necessi-
ties In the way Of current increases are
provided for by the new bill If there Is
one item above all others which calls loudly
for attention 1t Is this Police Court build
ing. Foul, a menace to the public health,
q disgrace to the capital the makeshift
building will stand for. another year at
least q monument to congressional willing
ness to let the District suffer for lack of
engagements In its general equipment in
order that 1t can Immediately pay its full
share Of the unusual expenses which the
Greater Washington projects involve.
The House conferees at yesterdays ses-
sion pointed to the fact that the bill ap-
propriates $S96.Si2 more than the House
bill carried. Munihcent generosity to the
District! And more than half of that in
crease, $4JO.OO Is for one project, the
sewage disposal plant, for which the en-
gineer In charge OF the work did not esti-
mate. and which he said he could not well
use under his plan of work! This Is one of
the great permanent projects which will
chiefly benefit posterity and for which pos
terity should be required in part to pay
The fact that the bill now carries $2,35S, 131
less than the Commissioners estimates is
much more to the purpose than comparisons
with the original House bill. Those esti-
mates were based upon what the District
and many legislators believe to be the cur
rect principle Of local fiscal legislation. and
represent actual. urgent needs. The House
bill stood for what is regarded as a vicious.
dangerous principle In municipal manage
ment and represents a parsimonious, retro
gressive policy Of allotments Any gain
over the House bill 10 of course a little in
advantage to the capital, but, on the other
hand. any reduction from the estimates is
an injustice to the present taxpayers and to
every resident Of the District whether q
taxpayer or not
The bill is filled with reasons for local
complaint. 1t must of course be accepted,
there being no appeal. But It is to be hoped
that it will stand for many years as an
example Of how badly Congress can legis-
late for the District when 1t sets out to
accomplish that end and how directly 1t
can go in the face Of municipal precedent
and local necessity in order to preserve a
front of so-called economy. The District.
however, will suffer for many seasons from
this negotiable method of dispensing i'm
mediate revenues and providing for urgent
current needs.