Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-11
The District Bill in the Senate.

In some part the District appropriation
bill has been shaped by the Senate COM
mittee upon the principle of restoring
matters that were eliminated in the
House on points of order. In this cate
cory fall such items as the provision for
The Transformation of Willow Tree alley
into an interior park. that for the i'm
provement of the Anacosta flats, that
for the transfer of the Jail jurisdiction to
the District. together with provision for
the support of prisoners. the grant of au-
thority 10 the Commissioners to under
take municipal street cleaning and the
appropriation for new colored normal and
high schools In other respects the
Senate committee has not followed the
House committee as to matters which be-
subject to points of order in the
House. Thus. the para graph providing
for municipal asphalt plant was not re-
stored to the bill. But the Senate COM
mittee has done better by the District in
regard to what is known as general legis
lation than even the House committee
undertook to do. The bill carries pro-
vision for new items such as a bridge
across Rock Creek at G street, repairs to
Cabin John Bridge, the maintenance of
the police and fremens pension fund, the
improvement of the klingle Ford valley.
the construction of stables for the street
cleaning department and a repair and
storage building for the fire department,
the provision of a method of employing
public school substitutes and an inquiry
into the necessity for establishing the
high pressure fire service in Washington.
In addition to these new items. the com
mittee has dealt literally with all branches
of the District municipal service, SO that
the bill carries an appropriation of $12,-
a9,3s6.5O, total net increase over the
House bill of s1.130,S9J. At this figure
the District bill stands more nearly repre-
sentative of the local needs and is a more
equitable disposal of the Districts tax
revenues. 1t inSures, subject, of course,
10 reductions in conference, suitable
standard of administrative maintenance
regardless of the desire in Congress to
force the District to pay virtually on a
cash basis for all it's large permanent
improvements.
In one respect the Senate committees
writing of the bill is far superior to that
effected in the other house. The provision
for the maintenance of the public play
grounds remains as 1t appeared after the
point of order smoke had cleared away
in the House. with the important eXcep-
ton that fifteen words are eliminated
fifteen extremely mischievous and objec-
tionable words, as follows: (which sum
shall be paid wholly out of the revenues
of the District of Columbia. The Senate
committee, by the elision of this unjust
imposition upon the District of the whole
burden of playground maintenance, as
respects the far greater part of the cost,
gives force to the organic act of 1878.
which should always be regarded by Con-
SresS as partnership contract between
the District and the general government.
The Senate committee thus recognizes
that the Fairgrounds are an established
institution. as much part of the munich
pal equipment as the bathing beach or
the public schools or the police depart
ment, and equally with them to be sup
ported on the half and half basis. 1t is to
be hoped that the Senate's representatives
on the conference committee will stand
firmly for the final writing of the play
grounds item in this form.
1t is gratifying to find the upper house
of Congress standing so steadfastly for
the principles which make for the evolu-
ton of the ideal Washington. For years
past 1t has been the reliance of the
District in all matters relating to the
disposition of the finances, and this bill.
brought up to a satisfactory total and
embracing numerous general provisions
urgently needed, is evidence of a clear
understanding by the appropriations COM
mittee of the Senate of the obligation owed
by Congress to discharge in the most lib
eral spirit the duty of exclusive jurisdic-
ton imposed upon it by the Constitution.
--ses-s-
The discussion OF the Canadian treaty