Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-26
DISTRICTS WEAKNESS
NO CONTINGENT FUND TO BE Elk
PENDED AT DISCRETION.
Commissioners Merely the Executive
officers of Congress, Which is the
Legislative Body.

II will make a suggestion through The
Star which am sure will meet with favor
locally" said a District official this morn
ing, land which two recent events affect
ing the health and welfare of our resi-
dents would seem to justify.
1.-The suggestion that 1 make is that the
District Commissioners be granted special
contingent fund, set apart from all other
funds, to be expended in their discretion
and toward projects and matters directly
affecting the health and welfare of our res
idents.
There is a serious defect in our manner
of municipal government when at the time
of the recent distressing drowning accident
in the basin the lack of proper precautions
on the part of the city authorities was cor
rectly laid at the door Of no funds.
1.-The second case occurred still more re-
Gently, when 1t appeared that the project OF
Charities to distribute 10000 health PAM
phlets on the prevention of the spread OF
tuberculosis could not be carried out Tor
lack of funds, 1t being proposed to give
copies of the pamphlet to school teachers
and pupils, and to parents through the
hands of the pupils.
1.-THE health department reported no
funds out of which the small expense could
be betrayed. and the District auditor made
a similar report as to the inadeQuacy or
the public school funds.
Il feel sure that voice the sentiment OF
the progressive citizens of Washington that
1t is matter of keen regret that the city
has been forced to go on record as beng
unable to distribute a few thousand ci--
culars on such an important question OF
health, one now actively engaging the at
tention Of all American municipalities, just
for the sake of a few dollars which we
have not got, for the simple reason that
Congress, in making the appropriations FOR
the District, prunes the estimates to such
thin consistency that not single cent can
be obtained for actual necessities, except
such as are already provided for.
Result Of Our Peculiar Position.
-"If Congress would place special fund
in the hands Of the Commissioners and
trust to them to expend it judiciously, no
acknowledgment like this would have to
be made in the future, and the condition
Of the District in this and other respects
reminds me Of what a senator, himself
member of the appropriation committee
said to me one day when we were discuss
ing the peculiar position of our people.
Washington he said, is governed
without the municipal corruption to be
found in other cities, yet the magnitude OF
the governing machinery is so great and
unwieldly that the proper development of
the capital, especially as to small yet es-
sential things is seriously handicapped
The government of Washington has al
ways reminded me of a mammoth Corliss
engine and little stationary engine placed
side by side, the latter dependent upon the
former for steam. If it is desired to lay
single cobblestone the whole steam power
of the great engine, meaning the Congress
Of the United States. must be gotten up to
full pressure to enable the little stationary
engine to generate enough steam to get the
stone in place for setting.
This continued the senator, is wrong.
The discretionary power of the Commits
sioners in certain lines should be increased;
their right to expend from certain con-
tingent fund in their discretion allowed; the
fund itself made sufficiently large to be Of
real service to the District, its citizens and
it's interests.
II asked the tor why Congress did
not give the Commissioners this discretion
airy power and place fair-sized contingent
fund in their hands for them to use as they
saw fit.
How the Senator Viewed It.
"'Because,' he answered, 1t is neither
the wish nor the intention Of Congress to
endow the Commissioners with any but
minor, and vei-y minor, discretionary pow
ers; the discretionary powers are to remain
with the legislative function and concurrent
authority of Congress to appropriate funds.
The Commissioners are and must necessar-
lily remain mere executive officers to carry
out the will of Congress.
" In great measure this plan is theorett-
cally perfect in banishing municipal corrup-
ton and enforcing good government, but
Congress Is such huge body with such
stupendous interests to guard that the sim
gle atom of the Districts needs is swal-
lowed up in the maelstrom of annual leg
islation. Therefore, much that is essential,
absolutely necessary, in fact, to the devel
opment of the capital is lost, forever lost,
in the SWIM.
1T seems to me- resumed the District
official, that some means should be adopted
whereby the Commissioners would be au-
thorized to initially act and forestall by
suitable expenditures such accidents oc-
Cured in the basin and to do and perform
various other acts which may require the
discretionary use and expenditure Of small
sums of money. If it is true, sa I under
stand it to be, that there was a petition pre-
scented to the Commissioners signed by 800
citizens requesting proper action as regards
the ice in winter in the basin, Congress,
while the accident Is yet fresh in mind,
should grant an adequate appropriation for
the care of the basin in winter, and make it
both the summer and winter water resort
Of the residents of the capital