Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07
The Commissioners Report.

The District government has grown to
lac a complex organization, requir ng
minute and careful superv sion in Its var
aus branches and elaborate and painstak'ng
provision for its maintenance. This fac
* clearly attested by the volume and de-
tailed character OF the Commissioners an
uuaI report. today submitted to Congress
Ii is long. because OF the multipl city OF In
forests committed TO the care of these heads
of the local administration II is circum-
stantial because the two houses OF Congress
are required by the Constitution to act as
The leg stature of the seat of government.
Thus though the report is addressed spe-
c.fclily to the President, 1t conveys to
Congress detailed and precise information
for the special benefit of the men who Will
in a short time be called upon to prepare
the laws and appropriations for the main
tenance and development of the District
during the coming fiscal year.
1t is gratifying to note that the Commits
s.oneIs do not regard the present arrange
uent for the adjustment of the District
financial responsibilities permanent.
They pointedly renew their recomme ndatlon
that different process of financing the
cost of the great permanent works be
adopted that the District be placed, IN
fact upon the same footing as any other
municipality which seeks to provide Tor the
cnuve nence. comfort or health of future
generations of taxpayers.
The apparently eXtravagant estimates, al
ready noted at length in The Star, are
g ,sily reduced to the plain terms of abso-
lutte necessity. Although there IS at hrst
glance a striking difference between the
rcguisitton for ST., $50 725 and the net reVe'
nues of 81 2sl 80 actually. on the principle
,,.l,F, cf.t i've tn lars corDOratlOlS an
in all states and municipalities outside OF
this federal Jurisdiction, there is no diner
,rce whatever worth the mention. or the
ST. $50 I25 called for by the Commiss oners
Al,proximately one-third, or 81 !625. loo. VIII
he needed to meet the proportonate cost OF
the great works now under way or lmme-
diately contemplated This leaves for cur
rent maintenance budget of $s26i3'o, or
a little less than the estimated net reve~
nues.
IL Is altogether wide of the mark to reply
1, the Commissioners urgent recommends
ti,ns along this line that Congress is even
nov annually taking care of the unusual
hl y,ien by providing for temporary ad-
wees from the federal treasury. Those
advances can be regarded only as make
- IT expedents, calculated to lead to con-
Il ion If not ultimately to actual extrav;-
IA &c. The District asks tfat III DC pidceu
~ al the common sense plane of borrowing
IT,. money needed for the great works. Tor
v ich. It has not and should not be eX-
pected or required to nave the money III
'hifrd. And ii furthermore asks that in
borrowing this money II should be permit
tel to place the loan on a definite basis
fnt stated term of years, so that the
provisions FOR the liquidation of the debt
can be definitely and Systematically ar
ranged without causing IA strain upon the
fispal system a any time or in any degree
'Fhe routine affairs of the District are
clearly set forth I'm the report, showing that
IN all ordinary matters the federal munici-
palIty is In a wholesome condition The
public health has been good, steps have
been taken 10 lessen the menace from
tuberculosis the city has been immune
frcm great disasters, and save for the de-
falcation in the auditors office. revealed
last summer the years story contains no
suggestion of break in the smooth ad-
Iniiiistration OF focal affairs II Congress
vii. remedy the wrong OF the cash-payment
system ard permit the District to meet its
extraordinary obligations as do other cities,
there is no reason To doubt that another
annual report based upon this improved
condition will make an even more credit
able showing of municipal development.