Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-19
The Budget and the Loan Bill.

The present program of those interested
in District legislation in the House Is to
have the appropriation bill, which was re-
ported on Saturday taken up by the House
during the present week. and then to pass
on next Monday to the consideration of the
S1OO0O,0OO federal advance bill, reported
from the District committee earlier last
week. 1t is unfortunate that the items are
not reversed. The loan bill properly pre-
cedes the appropriation bill, as proposing
the foundation for a different series OF al
lotments than that carried by the budget as
now framed. The two measures are drawn
on Numerically opposite lines. They can
not be reconciled save by radical amend
ment of the appropriation bill
Advocates of the loan bill urge that
Washington should not be treated differ-
emily from other cities, but should be per-
mitted to pay on a long-term basis Tor It's
permanent works. It's opponents declare
that the proposed loan will lead the DIS
trict into extravagances. This charge re-
flutes itself The District can be only just
as extravagant as Congress orders it to be-
All cloth for the Districts suitings Is cut
by the two Houses. Therefore, if there is
fear at the Capitol that the District may
fall into extravagant ways merely because
of the provision of sufficient funds to per-
NIT both current and extraordinary eXpen-
dftures on proper scale, 1t Is because
those members are afraid of themselves.
They have the whole case in their hanos.
This ridiculous assumption that the Dis
trict would foolishly run through federal
advance of s1O,oooOOo can hardly have
any weight against the loan bill Yet
there is no other substantial argument
against it. All reason points to its neces-
sity. There is absolute certainty that If
relieved of the current assumption of eX-
traordinary burdens the District will be
able to meet all its obligations within the
twenty years. The government runs no
risk whatever. The demands on the Dis
trict during that period can fairly well be
foreseen.
Probably at no time during these twenty
years will the District be faced with so
many heavy obligations at once. Given a
municipal building, sewage disposal plant
a fiItra ton plant, a municipal hospital, a.
Long bridge and a railroad terminal i'm
provement there will remain comparatively
little in the way of now contemplated pub
lie improvements of this character. 1t is,
of course. assured that new large needs
will arise from time to time, such perhaps
as provision for some features of a general
park development plan, but these are ex-
tremely unlikely ever to fall together,
do those which now impose such a serious
burden on the local taxpayer.
If the District is forever to go on paying
on cash basis foc everything it does or
gets it will never catch up with it's needs ii
the matter of ordinary municipal equip
ment. 1t will be always clamoring justly
for more schools, more firemen, more police
no
present list of arrearages is long merely
because of the tendency of Congress in the
past 10 pare down the appropriations not
only below the needs but below the actual
revenues which the organic act con-
templates shall be exhausted from year to
year Having thus accumulated series of
needs which call for an increased ordinary
budget, Congress now expects the District
to wait longer for their satisfaction while
it pays on a cash basis for heavy series of
extraordinary projects.
The loan bill will permit the District both
to catch up with the arrears of ordinary
development and to provide on an equitable,
easy basis for the large projects. 1t IL
good business to borrow money whenever
unusual obligations are confronted provided
the means are in sight for a liquidation.
The District is assured of sufficient means
to meet all the prospective appropriations
and to pay off it's proposed debt TO Ike
United States without strain:ng The re-
sources of the present generation OF tax
payers.
Even if the House persists in passing the
appropriation bill later in the week as il
stands there will be the best of reasons for
the energetic pressing of the loan bill next
Monday when it is brought before that
body. Indeed the necessity for is passage
Will have become the greater.
Some of the people who felt the pinch