Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-06

or 0u0ane00 department. ACCORDING 20
tenor or purpose.
The District Estimates.
The special value to the local taxpay-
ers and people OF Washington of the
power given to the Commissioners OF
preparing and submitting appropriation
estimates is in the opportunity afforded
to bring before Congress full statement
OF the municipalities needs and an in
telligent recommendation of the wisest
apportionment of the funds available
among these needs. The national part
ner In the National Capital partnership
reserved to itself the final decision in
respect to appropriations, but gave to the
local partner the privilege of the initiative
in suggestion. The words Of the organic
act suggest a wider scope and greater
weight to this power of initiative than
has been given to it in practice or in fact.
The first step was the preparation and
submission of the estimates, then the ap-
prevail or disapproval of the items or
these estimates by Congress. then to the
extent that the estimate items were ap-
proved by Congress the appropriation
from the national treasury of 50 per cent
OF that amount, and last Of all the col
Letting of the other 80 per cent from the
local taxpayers. The suggestion was
merely of a veto power in Congress to
approve or disarprove specific recommen-
dations by the Commissioners, represent
ing the local taxpayers. Moreover, since
the only provision Of local taxation was
to raise one-half OF a specific amount,
the other half having been already appro-
priated from the national treasury, 1t is
clearly contemplated that all the Dis
trict tax money should be covered by an
equal amount from the national treas
ury, and that there should be no appro-
priations. based on these estimates, pay
able exclusively from the local tax rev.
enues.
This power of the Commissioners in re-
spect to estimates. while reduced from
that contemplated by the organic act. Is
still valuable in enabling the local tax
payers to compel hearing by their legis-
lators (the national partner) of the con-
dition and needs of the municipality and
OF the local opinion Of the best methods Of
meeting these needs.
Congress Of late years has met the Dis
trict's current municipal needs and those
for extraordinary public Improvements,
first, by expenditure on the half-and-half
basis Of the local tax money. and, second.
by advances from the national treasury
to be repaid by local taxpayers with two
per cent interest, at a time not definitely
fixed. The last Congress directed the
Commissioners to confine their estimates
to double the amount Of the probable local
revenues. The suggestion has been made
that repayment of some portion of these
advances by the local taxpayers should be
provided for in the estimates. The dec
Iaration Of the last Congress was to the
effect that these advances were to be paid
from time to time within five years To
provide for a partial repayment In the
pending estimates means a reduction by
this amount Of the sum available for
meeting the urgent current needs Of the
municipality and for carrying on perma-
nent improvements already undertaken. 1t
is clearly not in the public interest to
make this reduction of available revenue
unless it is unavoidable under the law.
To make such repayment an item Of the
estimates 1t Is necessary to read the mind
Of the new Congress on the subject Of
these advances. The Commissioners must
guess that the new Congress- instead of
making further advances or postponing,
under some refunding arrangement, any
present payment on the existing ad-
vances, will select this year among the
next five years to compel repayment
wholly or in part. and finally the Com
missioners must guess the amount Of re-
payment which Congress will exact IL 1t
requires at this time any repayment at
all. II the new Congress in response to
the local representations does not compel
repayment of these advances from the
years current revenues there will be
large amount Of money available for cur
rent needs in respect to which the Com
missioners will not have given Congress
and the people of Washington the benefit
of recommendations concerning the
moneys wise apportionment. In respect
to this large amount the power Of initia-
tive suggestion, so valuable to the local
taxpayers. will be necessarily forfeited
and the community will suffer
II the Commissioners after careful con-
sideration decide that there is enough I'M
certainty In the wording of the law to
suggest that they put themselves on the
safe side by submitting one set Of esti-
mates which will include their guess at a
partial repayment Of the advances they
might, in order to avoid serious injury to
the community If they have guessed
wrong, submit an alternative estimate
suggesting the wisest application among
definite current expenditures Of this large
sum Of money, II not exacted this year
by Congress as repayment of advances.
The Washington taxpayers the local
partner) do not wish to repay these ad-
vances, representing permanent public
improvements by which posterity will
more largely profit. wholly or in part this
year. They wish further advances to be
made, and the whole debt refunded under
some equitable long-term arrangement
which will make the local taxpayers Of
each year pay In interest and sinking
fund only their fair proportion of an obli-
CATION which is incurred for the benefit Of
the taxpayers Of years to come by which
the latter profit and to which they should
equitably contribute.
1t seems to The Star, then, that in the
plain interest of the local taxpayers and
the local community. whom the Commits
sioners primarily represent. and to avoid
q possible serious injury to the city
there should be submitted 10 the new