The Washington herald., 1913-12-16
DISTRICT LOSES
in BUDGET BILL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

plan, for the campaign already has start
ed. The new piece Of Legislation merely
takes cognixance Of an increasing de-
financial relationship between the Dis
trict and the Federal government. This
demand will come to a head with n
vote on the Prouty seif-government bin
or some similar measure before the ses-
sion concludes. II would be not at ali
surprising to those who have felt the
Congressional pulse recently II the
commission appointed odraw up a self
government charter for the District. This
has been on the boards for more than
year now.
No "Good-Eovernmeat" Projects.
Despite the mouthy dissatisfaction OF
Congress with the conduct Of affairs here:
descriptions Of Washington "slums'; the
pages in the record filed with speeches
on the wicked public utility corporations
here; the thousands of dollars expended
In Investigations of administrative prao-
tees in the District-despite all this. not
one project asked by the District Com
missioners for improvements and adj
vances along the line of good govern
ment, remains in the bill.
ApPAOpEldllOub IOT q MUNICIPAL WAR;
house. urged by the Redfield committee
investigating the purchase and distribu.
ton OF District supplies, are refused, al
though the Redheld report received the
unanimous Endorsement OF the District
committee of the last Congress-
!. There are few members of the present
House Of two years service who have
not, either on the floor. In the record. or
IN private conversation, launched into
angry Examinations against one public
utility or another. There are more than
nfty bills and resolutions aimed at diff
ferent public utilities here-some demand
ing investigations and some Immediate
condemnation and acquisition by the gov
eminent. And yet the item Of s1lO. COO
asked for by the Commissioners to make
ful and fair physical valuation OF local
utility properties, such valuations to serve
as solid premise for future action, the
committee turned down cold
Cut ON Playground Funds.
The grave violation of the half-and-
half plan committed by the last Con.
gress through a provision requiring the
Disuict to bear all the expense OF it's
Fairgrounds Is repeated in the new bill.
aithough the new Commissioners recon-
mend that the principle OF the organic
act apply to the Fairgrounds expendi-
tNieS. ana then. although the District
Is to turn back into the Federal treasure
nearly $,5Ooooo. the committee authorizes
the expenditure by the District from its
own revenues of less than one-third the
amount the Commissioners ask for play
srounds-only s2,7S more than was
authorized last year and s65, $50 less than
the Commissioners wished to expend this
year And yet, II the bill goes Through
IN It's present form, with the children
OF the District standing in sore need
OF the breathing spaces the Commits
sioners seek to provide. the District cam
not use its own money to help them
because Congress thinks the govern
ment needs $l,5Oo,0o0 belonging to the
taxpayers of the District
The Commissioners request for two new
bathing beaches is denied in the bill.
the nothing doing sign is hung up
most conspicuously over the proposed
municipal market, fish-market, fish
cock, municipal hospital, inebriate hos
pital, home for the Predetermined and
similar reforms which would have been
knocked out in the House on a point OF |
order even II included in the bin by the |
committee.
Tie estimates submitted by the Com
mssioners for school appropriations
stand practically unchanged. The bill
adds forty-one new positions to the Dis
trict pay roll, and provides for several |
increases in salary.