Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-27
Not the Same.

Tho difference between the creo1t sys-
tenn in the funding OF the cost of great per-
r.sneut works desired by the District TAX
payers and that which Congress has grant
ed as something equally as good as the
drug clerk says is one of degree rather
than of kind. The existing .method OF
financing these expenses is INDEFINITE
whereas the Commissioners have asked ior
a definite term of loan and definite pro-
cess of refunding. The existing scherne Is
productive of cr9mping economies in Meet
ing current needs from year to year, where-
as the Commissioners proposiuon' IL
adopted, would enable the District TO meet
its normal requirements, which are an
uualIv growing larger. and at the same
time distribute the burden of funding the
permanent-works debt over long perlod
of years. ..-~
If the Commissioners plan, which Is the
plan of the great majority of the c1tlZehs'
were adopted all the pending permanent
works such as the filtration pian'' lhe
municipal building. the local contributions
to the Embarrassing elimination, the sew
erage system and the like would upon their
inception be placed upon definitely poho-
ed basis whether the funds were raised IN
the open money market by means OF oonds
or were advanced by the federal govern
ment on similar terms. From year TO year
a sufficient amount ultimately to discharge
the debt would be put aside from the cur
rent revenues. which are now and Tor some
years to come will remain in excess OF the
current needs, owing to the present hish
assessment and the imposition of the per-
sonal taxes. There would be no uncer-
tainty as to the amounts which could De
spared for current needs, as is now the
case annually. The fixed charges would
be computable to dollar, whereas at pres
ent no one can tell what the sum total or
these charges will be when the budget is
finally framed, with the present system of
federal advances by fits and starts"
The citizens plan is the method adopted
by every large business concern and every
large city whenever unusually costly en-
terprises are undertaken. 1t is the COM
nonsense method of distributing the cost
of permanent betterments over the period
of the beneicence of those improvements
Every business corporation figures on MAX
ing the increased income due to increased
facilities bear the cost of the provision OF
those facilities In the case of a city the
taxes of the period marked by the improve
ments themselves are chiefly relied upon to
defray their cost. To the extent that the
city Is equipped with public buildings FOR
the proper administration of its Gffairs,
with schools. with sewers, with pavements,
with water supply TO that extent will it
attract new inhabitants and grow in size
and wealth., 1t is with it with the eX-
banding business. the growth of which has
brought occasional heavy outlays which
have yielded proportionately increased
profits. . ~ .~g,..,F
1t is to be hoped that this question will
be studied by the congressional comm. tees
in the clear. light of its merits rather than
through the fog of the establishments and
inequities of the past few years. There
is no warrant for refusing now to pace
this District Indebtedness for these great
works on proper basis merely because
a few sessions ago the houses chose, from
motives of false economy. to try to MAKE
shift with a temporary advance of federal
money to cover an apparent deficiency in
the Districts tax revenues. That was a
mistake and every move made since then of
the same kind had added to it. Now is the
best time to correct the mistake and to
put the District squarely on the business
basis for which it petitions its legisla-
tIgr1