Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
District Finances.

The manifold details of municipal admin
istration are set forth in the District Com
missoners' report. submitted today to the
President and transmitted by him to Con-
gress. If this report is read carefully by
every member of the two houses there will
be clearer conception of the federal city
and Its needs and opportunities than OBJ
tanned before. The Commissioners show
that while much has been accomplished
toward making Washington an ideal capt.
tai In point of municipal equipment. much
remains to be done to give 1t the first-class
outfit and administrative machinery suit
able to its station
The financial difficulties which confront
the Commissioners plainly set forth,
and they explain that there is no reason to
regard the local revenues as inadequate or
as unduly subject to demands for current
maintenance or permanent improvements
Only because Congress has insisted upon re-
quiring the District to pay as it goes for
all it's great public works which in other
cities are financed upon a long-term basis,
are the local revenues inadequate to meet
the annual appropriat atoms. If Congress
would permit the District to follow the
example of all other cities and all business
corporations, and borrow on long-term ar
rangement the money needed for the rail-
road terminal improvement charges, for
the large sewer constructions, for bridges
for public buildings, for filtration and for
other projects which are Intended for use
in the long course of years and for which
the users of another generation should be
required in some measure to pay, the local
income would amply suffice to meet all
needs.
The Commissioners wisely proceed on the
assumption that Congress intends to con-
tinue to allow the District to spend more
annually than its yearly income at present,
and they have submitted estimates consid-
erably higher than a sum double the estt-
mated tax revenues of the municipality.
Any other course would both greatly Grip
pie the administrative work and check the
progress on the permanent improvements.
The District, indeed. could not be properly
managed on any smaller allowance of MAIN
tenance money, and it certainly could not
advance at a proper rate in its construction
of suitable capital equipment If the funds
were all expended in the work of running
the machinery of the District. The entire
sum of the tax revenues is not urgently
needed at present for current maintenance.
Annual payments into a sinking fund could
easily be made to provide for the extin-
guishment in the course of twenty years of
a large debt incurred in the execution Of
an elaborate program of public works. That
is the rational, equitable method Of f1nanc-
ing the national capital. The method In
vogue Is a make-shift, hand-to-mouth
rangement which does Justice to nobody
and cripples the District at every turn. 1t
Is to be hoped that the matter will be rene
died at this session of Congress by the
adoption of a paragraph in the appropria-
ton bill refunding the present floating debt
to the federal treasury and opening a Dis
trict credit in the sum of a sufficient num-
Der of millions to cover the cost of all the
permanent works now under construction or
Immediately In prospect.