Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-03
The Fairgrounds Item.

The fact that the conferees on the Dis
trict appropriation bill are still unable to
agree upon the Fairgrounds item. which
Is the only one now remaining in dispute
between the houses. should not presage
failure Of Congress to respect the or
ganic act upon which the present Dis
trict government is founded. The House
insists that the act shall be violated In
letter and in spirit. by imposing upon the
District the whole cost Of maintaining the
public Fairgrounds. which were provided
and equipped exclusively from the public
purse. The Senate insists that this APP
preparation Of 81. 900 shall be divided
equally between the federal and the. Dis
tricr revenues just IS are the appropxia-
lions for schools. for health protection,
for fire protection. for police protection
and for all other forms Of municipal up.
keep.
AS the bill now stands an Appropriation
for Fairgrounds appears to be inevitable.
Under the rules Is Interpreted by the
Speaker OF the House the conferees must
agree upon some method Of paying the
ST 600 which each house has declared to
be the proper allotment for this purpose.
The question at issue between the two
houses is not, ~ IN many 0eher cases, a
matter Of amount. but it is 4 question Of
who shall bear the burden. The play
ground item cannot "fail,'' unless another
Interpretation Of the rules IL given. Yet
the District would infinitely prefer 1t to
fail. even at the cost Of having no pro-
vision for the recreation Of the children
this summer, If the only alternative II to
have the Fairgrounds kept up wholly at
the Districts expense. in specific disfe-
gard Of the plain intention and the formal
pledge Of the organic act.
The insistence OF the House upon its
proposition finds no justification In the
law or in the circumstances. An unwar.
ranted attempt was made, when the bill
was in the House, to throw suspicion
upo.l the management Of the Fairgrounds
Association. which has done splendid
service during the formative period In
this District and deserves the highest
praise rather than criticism. No justi-
ication exists for question as to the in
tegrity Of the citizens engaged in this
work or the singleness Of their purpose
to give the children Of Washington, with
the scanty means available, the best pos
sible equipment for their wholesome rec
reation in the open air. II the case were
fully considered in fair spirit and with
the purpose OF learning the true history
Of the playground movement in Washing
ton the House could not logically con-
tinuc its opposition, which has with sinsu-
lar Inconsistency taken the form of
throwing upon the District the entire
burden of the institution. If the play
grounds are needed they should be re-
garded as part Of the municipal equip
ment. IF they are not needed the tax
payers of the District should not be called
upon to pay for them.
No other city in the United States to-
day adopts the position that Fairgrounds
are a fad or a useless object Of expendi-
ture. The National Capital surely should
not be forced into conspicuous distinction
by its constitutionally appointed legisia-
tors, and especially by way Of q breach
Of faith and a violation OF the sunda-
mental statute.