Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-21
NEEDtc OF DISTRICT
National Capital Should Have
All 1t May Require.
VIEWS OF THE TAXPAYERS
Favor q More Progressive Policy
Than Heretofore.
CONGRESS LACKS INTEREST
Some of the Important Items Of Ex-
penditure Included in the
Annual Budget.
VIEWS OF THE TAXPAYERS
CONGRESS LACKS INTEREST

District. and bringing such matters to
the attention of Congress. an insistence
that that body recede from the close
cropping and stringent course which has
at times and along some lines been pur-
sued toward the District and that more
liberal attitude be shown" a member OF
the Chamber of Commerce said to a Star
reporter
LAS go. ter of fact Congress as a
body does not take that interest in US
that it should. The idea that the capital
can get along with what We give it
should be banished for the better policy
that the capital shall have what it needs.
since the people wish it, even though 1t
does take a little more money this fiscal
year
Progressive Policy.
"A progressive policy in this particular
will mean something to us over preceding
fiscal years. and 1t is a policy which we
all desire to see inaugurated.
''Of course 1t cannot be expected that
the, new members can have more than a
superficial knowledge of our requirements.
but for single and extremely important
local matter, ii is expected that the older
members who have for years steamed into
town over the bridges of the Eastern
branch know that our citizens have. year
after year. petitioned that the marshes
and lowlands lying along this stream be
converted into solid banks of earth, that
a suitable channel be dug in this water
way, that the Anacostia fats shall cease
to remain an eyeSore in one of our main
environs. and shall exist only as men,
DRY. as is the case with the. old Potomac
flats.
THE obstruction to this greatly wished
for improvement is laid at the door of
the unsettled condition of the titles to
the lands In question. Such being the
case. why will not Congress without hest
fancy appropriate the $4,000 asked for
by the District Commissioners for the
appointment of special counsel to the end
that 2 thorough search of the titles may
be made that all doubts may be settled
and Congress advised fully in the prem
ises?
Initial Appropriation.
Our citizens are more than willing to
pay their share of this $4,000 and of
whatever subsequent sums may be neces-
sary to complete this great Improvement
and. such being the case. why does Con-
gress each year strike 1t out of the items
of appropriation?
This year 1t should go through. as we
all are anxious to see this specific local
Improvement gotten under way beyonu
the initial argumentative stage.
The plans for the improvement of the
Anacostia River basin have already been
approved. 1t is an easy matter to let the
contracts in advance that there NAV b
no delay in pushing the work to compile
ton once 1t is begun. and all that Is
needed, in, addition to the $4,000 noted
Is an additional appropriation for the
initial WORT, and such an APPROXIMATION
CONGRESS should pass at this session.
-. Then We desire a more liberal policy
exhibited toward our public school ap-
propriatfons,\ and Congress should be
made awareVthat the estimates of the
education he &c
cal year have been substantially ap-
proved in their entirely by the District
Commissioners. and in turn approved
'>4X-our peopletat large.
4 ) Needs Of the Schools.
%ith upward of $4,000 pupils en-
rolIsd in our public schools. necessitat-
fng 1.-THE employment of nearly LOO
teachers. the item of appropriation for
the maintenance of our public school
system must of necessity be of consid-
cradle Yasnitude. but there is no dis
positjS1 on the part of our citizens to
IT is the general desire that our publ,
school system shall not be harnpered
Ny lack of funds to bring 1t TO the
Perfsction Worthy of our city
1.-The necessarily large increase in the
2umber of public school buildings re-
squired in the near future must be ade-
auately met. The appropriations in the
past have been far too small for this
important purpose, and have not KEEP.
pace with the growth of the schools
IT is not surprising. therefore, that the
commissioners have the full support OF
or citizens on this question. The
anIoUnf of work and of money involved
is large that 1t Is now necessary to
remove the estimates for school build
ings and grounds from the class Of cur
rent expenditures. to be paid out OF
current revenues as heretofore, to the
GLASS of extraordinary expenditures. in.
volving such large amounts rs cannot
be properly taken out of the curren.
revenues.
Appropriations for this purpose must
of necessity be made early to obviate
the otherwise inevitable delay in Sc
curing sites and plans within the ap-
preparations In the past the necessary
reduction of bids for sites and the con-
struction of school houses, and the al
teration of plans because of lack OF
money in the appropriation. have
caused delays which ought not to have
occurred, and which were decidedly
disadvantageous to the interest of our
schools.
Additional Police Imperative.
Il fancy that the average national
legislator who comes to abide a short
time with US each year will be sur
prised to learn that our police force
is called upon to protect not only the
eighty villages. towns and subdivisions
lying within the boundaries of ,he Dis
trict, and embracing seventy square
miles of territory.
This surprise may be considered .
natural one when 1t is well understood
that many of our national legislative
visitors seldom wander far away from
the contiguous precincts of Capitol
Hill and the pavements of our princi-
pal thoroughfares leading to +hc White
House and the big department build
ings.
1T cannot be expected that our no
lice force can do proper justice 10 our
interests at large when some of its
members, owing to a much too small
force of men. are required IN some
instances to patrol beats covering as
high as from sixty to seventy squares
while in outlying localities one officer
IS required to patrol several square
miles
Yet each year our demand for a prop
erly enrolled police force is turned dowr
At the Capitol, in the face OF official rec
ommendation backed up by public opin.
ion. This should not be the case The
estimate for new patrolmen is entirely
in keeping with our rapidly increasing
population and extensive eXpanse of r
ritory. and the demand of our citizens for
better police protection should be un-
grudgingly met by Congress at this ses-
sion.
Fire-Fighting Facilities.
THE same statement holds true as to
increased facilities for fire protector