Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-18
A Dangerous Departure.

Yesterdays action In the House on the
Fairgrounds amendment, whereby the DIS
trict is to be required to bear the whole
burden of maintaining the municipal
recreation grounds to the extent of $4,000
of the total of $22. 600 appropriated for
this purpose. merely postpones the
real fight for proper playground main
tenance to the Senate and the conference
committee The so-called grant of $4,000
for this purpose is no grant at all. 1t
should not have been accepted yester-
day by the friends of the Fairgrounds
II should have been rejected by the Dis
trict's friends, regardless of their feeling
about public recreation spaces, as dam
gerouS concession.
In order to be of any virtue or to be-
stow any benefit upon the District the
money for playground maintenance must
be obtained from Congress on the ordi-
nary half-and-half basis. The District
cannot afford to take any money on
any other terms. This grant of $4,000 ex-
clusiveIy from the local money is the
equivalent of $34. 900 of District rev.
enues, for each dollar raised by taxation
in the District is, under the organic
act Of 1878 to be matched in application
tn the maintenance of the municipality
by a dollar of federal money. This
action In the House tends to break down
the principle which the District has been
for years fighting to establish on an I'M
shakable basis, and furnishes a prece-
dent for the spending Of all of the Dis
trict's revenue dollars as half dollars, at
a 80 per cent discount.
All citizens of the District, whatever
their own particular and fayOrite prof.
ects of public improvement for which ad-
ditional funds are required, should be
careful not to assent to any such ar
rangement whenever the acquisitions are
opposed on the half-and-half basis but
agreed to as permissible on the unjust
principle of entire District payment.
Those in Congress who are opposed to
the control Of the Districts affairs by the
government and to federal participation
in the financial support Of the National
Capital would be willing to do anything
on this basis. They would in this present
situation be very glad to dispose in the
style Of yesterdays action Of the entire
half million of District tax money for
which no specific appropriation provisions
have been made by the House committee.
II the Fairgrounds item OF $4,000 ex-
clusively from the Districts revenues is
allowed TO SIanQ III Tue Uiil IL Will UC q
serious stab at the District through the
deliberate ignoring OF the letter and spirit
Of the National Capital partnership agree
ment The offense against the principle
of fair dealing is the more fragrant be-
cause the Fairgrounds have been estab-
lished by law, were bought on the half
and-half basis, were maintained on that
same basis, and this very bill carries an
item of $1,000 to assist in their main
tenance, of which amount s., 500 is to be
paid by the United States. The House
still has a chance to redeem itself from
this wrongful action by striking out on
the final consideration the words which
propose this unjust imposition upon the
local taxpayers. But il the House will
not do this the case must rest with the
Senate, which will be depended upon by
the people of Washington to save them
from this breach Of faith.