Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-31
The District and the House.

The House has passed the District ap-
propriation bill with a heavy deduction
II the amount carried by 1t from the
ligurc fixed by the appropriations COM
mittec, which itself reduced the budget
below the estimates of needed eXpendl-
lures and of prospective revenues. inc
reductions effected by the House we're
the result almost entirely of objections TO
specific items on points OF order on the
ground tnat they involved new lcglsia-
don, contrary to rule OF the House.
in other words this bill has been pruned,
trimmed and sliced until 1t Is little more
than a continuance provision carrying
appropriations for the maintenance of al
ready established works without refer
ence to the growing needs of the District.
rho House did not pursue an entirely
consistent policy with regard to items OF
alleged general legislation, new projects
lor which no previous enactment had
peen made. 1t allowed some of these
propositions to pass. while it struck
others out Of the bill. In one or two
cases. notably the item of s25oOoO for a
site for new Central High School, OBJ
lection was not raised or. being raised,
was withdrawn upon representation OF
urgent need.
In effect the District bill has been
framed In the House of Representatives
and not In the committee on appropria-
tons. and framed, furthermore, in the
House by a few individuals. In practi-
cally every instance where items were
swept out of the bill by objections on
points of order there was preponder-
ance of sentiment for them. Thus the
House was given an exhibition OF one
man power. which has often been alleged
against the Senate, where a single objec-
ton can often defeat the consideration
and consequently the passage of a meas
ure. Inc rules OF the House are plain
and there can be no protest against the
technical righteousness of the procedure.
Nevertheless the effects are bad. and IL Is
obvious that unless the Senate restores
the lost items to the bill and succeeds in
keeping them there through the confer
ence process the District budget enacted
this year will be sadly deficient both in
total amount and in scope of authorize
tons,
The District VIII suffer badly If some
way is not found speedily to correct the
deficiencies created by. this condition of
affairs. The House denies the District a
sufficient allowance of time on the floor
for the transaction of its legislative bust
ness, and thus makes 1t imperative
that many of the most important prof.
Gets of public betterment and develop
ment be carried through by the appru-
priation route. Then it turns about and
enforces its technical rule against 'legis-
lation' In appropriation bills and closes
that road to results. The net effect of
this seesaw of denials is that the Dis
trict stands still in its municipal progress,
accommodating arrears of needs that
must later be dealt with by Congress at
a greater cost than at present.
Little can be expected from Congress at
this session, which has only month
longer to run and is exceptionally crowded
| with federal work. The District is hope
| full that the new Congress will deal more
| literally with it, not merely in point of
| money totals, but in point of time and
| consideration. either giving the District
committee its full measure of opportunity
on the floor or waving the technicalities
| of objection that prevent the District ap-
preparation bill from being utilized as a
means to necessary ends