Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-19
Economy and Skimping.

While ii is in every way desirable that
the affairs of the District government
should he conducted without waste, and
that in every department there should be
a continuous. careful effort to economize.
II is by no means to be desired that those
In charge of the municipal machine should
make a point of saving for the sake of
saving. There is such a thing econo-
my, and there is also such thing as
parsimony. The District Commissioners
point with pride to the record of saw
ings effected during the past year and
the curtailments in the estimates which
they are about to submit for the upkeep
OF the National Capital during the coming
fiscal year. They are to he highly COM
mended for their work in this respect so
long as Ii shall appear that they have
not. through their economies, lowered the
standard of District housekeeping.
There is danger in Washington of undue
economy in the maintenance of the mu-
nicipal departments. Congress has I'M
fortunately adopted policy toward the
District which makes for an annual use
of District tax revenues for the payment
of an Indebtedness for the construction
of large permanent works on a yeritable
cash basis instead of on a long-term re-
funding plan. Thus there is a constant
tendency toward trimming the appropria-
tionS for current maintenance in order to
accumulate cash to be applied on the
floating debt" In the past the Commits
sioners resisted this tendency as far as
they We're able by submitting their an
nual estimates in terms of the actual
needs of the District, in the hope that
Congress would reduce the rate of an
nual repayment of the so-ca1led floating
debt. The present board of Commission
ers. however. is disposed to conform to
the insistence of Congress upon the cash
payment proposition. At all events the
Commissioners are doing all that is neces-
sary TO forward this program by them
selves trimming and cutting the current
maintenance expenditures.
II is gratifying to know that the Com
missioners are able to clean the streets
at lower cost than heretofore. The citi-
Zens have a right to expect that instead
of asking for less money for street clean
ing the Commissioners will ask for as
much as heretofore and apply the saving
to more frequent service on the streets
that are now comparatively neglected
Instead of turning $1,000 year into the
federal Treasury as a refund of advances
for large works why should not the
streets that are cleaned twice a week be
visited three times a week? 1t cannot be
contended that Washington is kept clean
as long as certain streets in this city are
swept so infrequently that between visits
they accumulate immense quantities of
dirt
Again, in the matter of street surface
repairs. No one who uses the streets can
he persuaded that Washington has main
tanned its old standard of excellence in
this regard. Ii has bumps and holes and
cracks and ruts in such abundance that
the suggestion that $4,000 can he saved
in the annual upkeep of the thorough
fares will be regarded a positive ca
lamity rather than an advantage. Far
more than the reduction of the floating
debt TO this extent Washington needs the
application on its street surfaces of every
penny that can be secured. The same is
true of the lighting. The $4,000 saved in
the cost OF street illumination should be
spent, with much more added in carrying
mai side streets of the capital where now
ii is unsafe at night for one to venture
These economies will be welcomed by
the community only so long as they sig
Nifty that the money granted by Congress
for the upkeep of the District will be
used 10 increase the efficiency of the local
administration.