Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-12
The Delay of Local improvements.

For many years Washington pleaded
with Congress to give it home of it's
own building in which it's official bust
ness could be transacted decently safely
and with dignity. The item was annu-
ally passed by, however, until the capital
municipalities situation was shameful
Visitors to the city were amazed to find
its administrative offices huddled into d
rented building without single redeem
ing feature. Proud Washingtonians were
compelled to explain that this shabby
outfit was the result of congressional in
difference to the capitals welfare. There
was no redress. All Washington could
do was to wait. So it waited, annually
presenting it's petition for a municipal
building. until one session the item was
squeezed through conference and found
a place in the appropriation BILL Now
the District has a large, well situated
building. which is an ornament to the
city and a source of great satisfaction
to all citizens.
Is the same process to be necessary
in the case of every large public improve
ment in this District? Must the capital
municipality wait for years for all of
it's essentials? Here, for an instance, is
the item of the high pressure fire serv-
ice for the better protection OF the bust
ness section of the city. 1t was first pro-
posed to Congress in 1902 and has been
repeated every succeeding year without
avail. The project is self-commendatory
The economy of it is obvious. Yet the
houses have annually passed it by on the
specious plea that there are no funds
whereas there would be abundant means
for the execution of such work if Con-
gress were to appropriate the local reve-
nues on an equitable basis of a separation
of current from extraordinary items.
here was no valid reason for delaying
the District building SO many years. Had
the principles of business management
which obtain in other cities and in all
large commercial enterprises been applied
in this case the capital would have had
an official home fully ten years, perhaps
twenty years, earlier than it was finally
obtained. If the Commissioners recon-
mendation of 1902 for a high-pressure fire
service had been needed promptly by Con-
gress the District would now have
been enjoying the economical guarantee
against disaster and the reduction OF
fire loss afforded by the proposed system
Tor IVe years, AT ledSl. i He equipment
would by now have paid for itself in
lessened fire damage and in less ex-
pensive fire department. Meanwhile
other cities have adopted the idea and
have profited. Just the other day New
York saved in one quickly extinguished
fire in the congested business section
perhaps as much as the entire equipment
cost. Washington, however. must con-
tinue to wait.
If the delay were necessary, if cond1-
tons absolutely prohibited such enter
prises, there would be more patience.
But there is no reason for this waste OF
years, this unbusinesslike procrastina
ton. There was similarly no reason for
the long delay in providing the municipal
building. In just the same way have
other urgently needed projects been
sbelved, not because they do not repre-
sent actual local requirements, but be-
cause Congress refuses to put the Dis
trct's finances upon the sound basis per-
hitting the prompt disposal of the Com
missioners' recommendations on their in
trinsc merits.