Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-25
hWhole Cost" Street Extension Again.

The Districts opposition to street extern
sion wholly at its own expense is fixed and
infiexible. 1t protested strenuously when
the Ubiquitous proposition was first written
into law in the general highway extension
act and 1t continued its opposition when.
after the heartily welcomed repeal of the
highway law. Congress, with a pretense of
yielding TO this spirit. proceeded to re-enact
the obnoxious legislation piecemeal and
provide for the extension of certain streets
on that same basis. The people of Washing
ton declared that they would wait indef-
nitely for their street extensions rather than
accept them on this grossly unjust basis.
and so detorminedly was this policy adhered
to that for several seasons number of
urgently needed projects of this character
We're allowed to languish for the lack of
local initiative owing to the apprehension
that Congress in passing the measures,
would restate it's insstence upon the out
rageous violation of the letter and the
spirit of the organic act Of 1878.
The Senate recently passed a number of
street extension bills, representing the most
pressing of these enterprises, and greatly
sratifed the District by placing them on
the half-and-half basis contemplated by the
organic act. The House committee yester-
day voted to approve those bills with the
vitality important amendment that the work
was all to be done at the expense of the
District. the federal government bearing
no share of the expense. The bills are to be
reported to the House in that shape and.
unless the good friends of the District arise
on the floor and by vigorous fighting
check this move, they will be passed just
as were the old street-extension bills
which have played such havoc with the
local finances.
The reports of yesterdays action state
that in the Judgment of the committeeman
these bills will be passed by the House only
on the basis of putting the whole cost on
the District. If that is the case, then the
people of Washington. however seriously
the improvements are needed, will declare
that they do not want the bills passed at
all. They would greatly prefer to see the
House committee present the bills in the
shape demanded by the organic act and the
partnership principle which now governs the
prosecution of all the local public works.
If the House Is unwilling to approve this
measure of justice, the responsibility
should be placed squarely on that body
The committee will do Its full duty to the
District. WHOSE interests are in such large
degree intrusted to it, only by standing by
the right proposition, irrespective of what
the House is likely to do or not to do.
Washington today is lacking in growth as
a capital because Congress has not in truth
lived up to the basic proposition in the or
ganic act, which is that for every tax dol
lar raised by the District the government
shall appropriate another dollar, and the
funds thus provided shall be spent so far
as they go toward carrying out the ap-
proved estimates of the Commissioners.
Any departure from that principle. either
in refusing to spend all of the District tax
money plus an exactly equal amount of
federal money, or in requiring the District
TO shoulder the full expense of proper and
necessary public works in the making and
maintaining OF the capital city is a fragrant
breach of faith and must be stoutly resisted
by the District even IL 1t suffers temporary
inconvenience and some loss.
These street extension bills should be
passed only on the half-and-half basis. If
the House insists upon passing them in
their amended form and the conference
does not reshape them to the Senate basis
and they become laws in this wise an ap-
peal must be made to the President to veto
them as contrary to the spirit of the fed
eral agreement with the District. The fact
that there are precedents for them does not
warrant their passage or approval The
precedents are bad and the bills, as thus
framed worse still for seeking the per-
petuation of a vicious principle.