Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-21
The School Cost,

1t would seem on the face OF 1t that the
proposal to force the District to bear al
the burden of the public school system
would defeat itself in the House of Rep
resentatives by its own obvious unfair
ness and it's fragrant departure from the
partnership principle of the organic act
From the point of view of the District
oitizen-indeed. from that OF any observer
not already affected by the belief that the
District is the undeserving beneficiary of
federal benevolence-it is absurd to urge
that the public school expenses are not. a
part of the municipal cost contemplated
by the act of 1878. to be covered by the
estimates of the Commissioners and borne
by equal contributions from the federal
Treasury and the local tax revenues. Yet
there is nothing improbable in the state
ment that the attempt will be made at
the next session to set the school ex-
penses on one side as not legitimately
within the range of the half-and-half
scheme. In the light of experience any
thing In the way of impositions on the
District is possible.
No matter how absurd it all seems, how
Illogical or unfair, it is the duty of the
District to prepare now to resist this
threatened invasion Of its rights. Prob
ably If it had been announced a couple
of years ago that the House intended to
cast the whole cost of playground main
tenance upon the District there would
have been incredulity in many quarters.
Yet this was done, and furthermore done
in a particularly offensive manner. not by
straightforward legislative work. but by
a maneuver which the friends of the Dis
trict on the floor of the House were quick
enough to resist 1t is the belief today
that this financially small, but morally
dangerous, violation of the organic act
was accomplished by a minority of votes.
With the experience of the playground
matter in mind it is necessary for the
District citizens to make sure that no
surprises are sprung at the next session
when the appropriation bill is called up
in the House for consideration. They
must have their friends aroused to the
importance of being on the floor, loaded
with facts, and keen to the point of ag-
gressive vigilance to resist any sugges-
ton whatsoever looking to the piecemeal
repeal of the organic act.
When Congress reserved the right to
amend, alter or repeal the statute of
1878 it did not arrogate to itself the
right to ignore that statute whenever it
desired by suspending its provisions from
time to time with reference to one or an
other function Of the District govern
ment OF all the bad practices Of legisla-
ton. the worst Is indirect amendment of
existing law. especially by way of appro-
priation bills. The rider stands often
for meritorious purpose, but it is, new
ertheless. indefensible on the score of
straightforward dealing The ease with
which appropriation bills can be used to
accomplish ends impossible or difficult of
attainment by the ordinary methods of
has seriously changed the character of
the national legislation.
There is ground for the suggestion
that any separation OF one of the Dis
trict's annual items of maintenance, such
as the public school system from the
general budget subject to the half-and-
half clause might be resisted in court on
the ground that it violated the specific
provisions Of the act of 1878. Why should
citizen OF the District be called upon to
pay either more in regular taxes or a
special school tax TO enable the District
to bear the entire cost of school mainte-
nance when the law distinctly states that
the Commissioners shall submit to Con
gress, through the Secretary of the
Treasury. estimates for the cost of main
tanning the District. one-half of which
to the extent that they have been ap-
United States?