Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-10
The House Rejects the Advance Bill.

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The House having gone on record against
the federal loan of sl0CO0,O00 to the Dis
trict-reduced to 100000 by Chairman
Babcock-it is difficult to sustain hope fur
Their at this session that Congress will act
justly in the premises toward the capital
city. The Senate committee on appropria-
lions and the House have both refused to
permit the District to go into debt on
long term basis to pay for the great perma-
nent works. The House has declared that
the District shall pay for all it's current
and extraordinary needs out Of its current
revenues, thereby entailing serious accu-
mutation of unmet necessities, despite as
sertions to the contrary yesterday. The
Senate committee Is willing that the appro-
priations for immediate needs shall be
swelled sufficiently to approximate to the
demands of growing municipality, but it
is not willing that the cost of the perma-
nent works shall be financed on long-term
basis Its provisions for federal advances
are made strictly on the cash-payment prin-
ciple. and leave the District in a quandary
as to what it's annual obligations may DO.
Yesterdays debate in the House develop
ed rather more than the usual amount OF
transformation and misstatement regarding
District affairs. There was much talk Of
the eagerness of the District citizens to run
into debt" There was a revival OF the
ridiculous charge that the District is I'M
dertaxed, in the face Of disproving statts-
kcs. There was a direct suggestion that this
proposition to advance federal money to the
District was a covert attempt to commit
Congress to big schemes Of public improve
ment which Congress is not now ready to
approve There was a gleeful statement to
the effect that if this method were rejected
and the House policy Of paying for every
thing on cash basis adopted in few sea-
sons the District would have advanced ma
terially toward the capital ideal without
leaving cent Of debt to represent the
progress. But the central truth of the Com
missioners' bill. that 1t is equitable and
righteous to divide the burden of just such
projects between present and future tax
payers, was not appreciated by the House,
and the debate ranged all around it without
once centerng upon 1t as the supreme issue
of the occasion.
1t is remarkable that a vitality important
measure such as this federal advance bill
should be subjected to so much confusion
Of tongues, and that the clear statements
of those in charge of the bill explanatory
of the purposes of the project should not be
accepted by the majority as reliable But
unfortunately the Districts interests are
in charge of two schools Of financiers and
legislators, and it so happens that just at
present the dominant school refuses to take
the Districts point Of view and insists upon
legislating without regard to the local
wishes. When some days ago the assertion
was circulated that the District really did
not want this thing The Star promptly
cd fhn Nv nP I,ta
views and reports Of public meetings Of
representative citizens 1t demonstrated that
the local voice was practically unanimous
in behalf Of the federal advance repayable
on long term. The District did indeed
show eagerness to "go into debt" as
one member said yesterday, but its eager
ness was the result of careful study Of the
situation and a more intimate knowledge
OF the local finances and needs than the
average member of the House has seemed
able to acquire. The District Is eager to
incur this debt because 1t knows that only
In this way will it be able to maintain It
self adequately and only this basis
should it be compelled equitably to meet its
share Of the cost Of great permanent works.
One argument advanced against the long
term advance was that 1t tended to bind fu-
ture Congresses In the writing Of local legis-
laton. This is true, but only so far as the
passage of this bill would Involve an obli-
cation on the part of future legislatures to
hew to the line of revenues while meeting
needs. In fact. the adoption of this prnci-
pie of local finance, which Is indeed the
fundamental principle now in force in all
other municipalities and in all large COM
mercial undertakings. would permit future
Congresses a wider latitude in the writing
OF local legislation. by insuring a more
prompt meeting OF current needs which
must eventually be provided for. II the
District is willing to be burdened with such
a debt, surely Congress should be willing in
turn to accept this Slight apparent limita-
ton upon its field of operations