Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-15

In point of its grand total the District
appropriation bill must be regarded as rela-
lively liberal. In terms of the House COM
mittee initiative. That the budget frames
up to an aggregate only SOL 1913 less than
the current law is encouraging, in view OF
the probability that the House itself will
add somewhat to the list OF appropriations
and that the Senate will increase 1t ma
terially That the bill falls short of the esti-
mates by 81. lit .434 is of course to be de-
plored The Commissioners had pruned the
figures to a reasonable point but had pro-
ceeded upon their consistent policy of dis
regarding the fact that the prospective
revenues were not sufficient to meet both
current needs and extraordinary expenses.
The committee has pursued It's equally con-
sistent policy OF trimming the appropr-
atoms to the revenues, thus continuing to
hold the District down to the theoretical
cash-payment basis in financing Its large
permanent improvements. 1t is virtually
assured that when the bill becomes a law
1t will carry a sufficient total to wipe out
in large part, or entirely. the margin of
$40 7O2 between income and outgo which
the committee regards as available to pay
TO the United States on the Indebtedness
incurred by the federal advances.
OF the a777, 434 cut from the Commits
sioners' estimates the greatest portion Is in
one item that, Notwithstanding an urgent
public demand, has been regularly eliml-
mated by Congress for several years. This
is the recommendation that $4,000 be
spent in the establishment of a h1gh-pres-
sure fire service. AS to Its practicability,
its efficiency as a measure of protection
and It's economy there is no possible ques-
ton Nor Is there doubt as to the wisdom
of doing the work at once, with the prices
of labor and materials probably lower than
they will ever be in the future. Yet from
year to year the estimate is ignored on the
sole ground that the District cannot anoro
the expenditure. This is one case "here
the plan of paying virtually on cash OASIS
for great permanent improvements pinches
the District severely.
The estimates for sewers suffer reduc-
ton of S25O,OOO on this ground also. The
sewer works which the Commissioners
recommended and which have been cut out
of the bill are urgently needed, not merely
for the preservation of health today, out 10
safeguard the sanitary welfare OF the DIS
frict In the near future. Washington Is
growing raIldly. 1t is spreading out INTO
the suburban area at rate that promises
In a very few years TO cause a total OBJ
nteTdtlOn OF all Signs OI ulileiCiSc
the old city" and county. The sewer
euuipment should pFecede the settlement or
the outlying areas, and il is discourag1ng
to find the House committee apparently In
different to the law OF forehandedness. the
violation of which may hereafter produce
serious results
From the estimates for the health, police
and street department more than $1oO,GOO
4 out in various items Affecting the well
fare and safety of the people. If the COM
mittee were working on a basis of proper
provision for current needs. after providing
for the liquidation of the permanent-fm-
provements debt on long-term plan, 1t
would be possible to include all these items
and bring the Districts equipment up to
date for once in its history.
On the other side there is one material gain.
The committee grants $4,000 for the pur-
chase OF site for public playground,
which is urgently needed 1t unfortunately
at the same time cuts the appropriation for
the equipment and maintenance down to
5000, from an estimate OF 10000. 1t was
hoped that liberal policy would be car
ried through in this department, but the
District Is nevertheless grateful for the
substantial start on broad basis.
Notwithstanding the disa Dpointments,
which are annually recurrent, the bill
energies from committee in a shape to
grow into a satisfactory measure.