Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21
The District Bill.

Abandoning the wisely llDeral pOlCy
which has been pursued for a few seasons
and has resulted in the grant of sufficient
sums to the District to maintain 1t on a
proper scale while bringing it up to date In
the matter of permanent improvements. the
House appropriations committee has this
year ruthlessy cut the estimates of the
Commissioners and turned out a bill which
is based squareIy upon the old principle of
giving the District less than 1t needs. The
resultant measure is a distinct disappoint-
ment. 1t throws upon the Senate more
fully than for some years past the respon-
sibilty and labor of restoring. as far as
possible. those items which the Commits
sIoners have recommended and those In
creases which are required in the interest
of good municipal government.
The present law carries an appropriation.
exclusive of the water department. of
$40 SSS 034 The Commissioners estimates
totaled $12.41S. 1866. The House commit
tees bill carries appropriation of $780,
g3S. Not only is this ruthless cut of
S. 025. 51S.65 from the estimates. but 1t Is
cut of $G64 133 from the budget as 1t came
from the House committee a year ago.
1t is difficult to appreciate the principle
upon which the House committee has acted
in thus cutting the estimates. That they
would suffer somewhat was to be expected.
But that they should have been cut down,
not only below the current law and the
committees recommendations of last year,
but even below the point of the pros
pective revenues, is beyond reason
able understanding. The committee in
its report shows that the local reve-
nues are estimated at S., 462,325, which.
the strict half-and- half principle, would
call for an appropriation of $10,924 $50 or
s16c9,7 12 more than the bill now carries.
The committee shows that there will be
further charge of S31SOOO against the local
revenues during the fiscal year following,
5000 in the form of miscellaneous appro-
priations carried by other bills, $6S0OO in
interest on the federal advances, and
$4,000 under the terms of the union sta
ton act. This will raise the charge against
the local revenues to $5.015, 469, or SAG. $50
less than the estimated local income.
Thus 1t appears that the committee has
not even worked out a bill which would
exhaust the Districts revenues. to say moth
ing of a bill which would meet the urgent
needs of the capital, both general and
current financed upon the broad and busi-
ness-like policy of deferred payments for
the permanent works. If that policy had
bttn pursued THIS year, as IOTIHeTly, the
budget could logically have been increased
to a fair approximation TO the Commits
sioners' estimates. Thus the House COM
mittee deliberately turns it's back upon the
order, in which 1t has heretofore ac-
guessed and leaves the Senate to do the
work of rewriting the bill upon correct
lines.
1t is inconceivable that the Senate will
to ,nL,
taken by the House committee. Here
tOfore, for the past few years the essential
principle has been written into the District
bill that it is the duty of Congress not
only to provide generously for the perma-
nent works, under a make-shift deferred
payment arrangement, but to bring the
appropriations for current maintenance to
the proper standard. This year the House
committee refuses to increase any salaries
although ii Is notorious that the municipal
force Is seriously overworked and absurdly
underpaid in many instances and it re-
fuses to grant urgent necessary increases
In force. 1t has turned a deaf ear to the
petition of the public school teachers that
their salary scale be readjusted to meet
the local needs. which cry for satisfaction
lest the schools deteriorate for lack of
efficient teachers. 1t has ignored the rea-
sonable requests OF the Commissioners for
more just scale of pay for policemen and
firemen. 1t has pruned and trimmed at
every possible point until it turns out a
product which, if accepted as it stands
would leave the District next year less
adequately equipped for the transaction of
its growing business than It is today.
This is bad policy. 1t Is an avoidance of
responsibility and reversion to discredited
ways 1t is not even good economy. for 1t
is patent that it cannot stand The Dis
trict protests against such treatment from
the legislative guardians OF the national
capital.