Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

thereof and an itemiZed statement and
estimated cost of defraying the expenses
of the government of the District. in
GLIDING of course. the cost of maintaining
the police and fire departments. etc.-in a
word. the entire cost of everything in the
way of administration of the affairs of the
District without regard to the question
which of the two, nation or District. had
been administering such af-
fairs or a part thereof: but also specitical-
ly the cost of constructing. repairing and
maintaining certain works and institu-
tions the cost of many of which was
formerly borne exclusively by the nation,
as bridges, public institutions OF charity.
reformatories and prisons. and the ex-
penses of the Washington aqueduct and
it's appurtenances. 1t is then provided
that the Secretary of the Treasury shall
consider and act upon all such estimates
So to be submitted to him and submit the
result of his consideration. together with
the estimates as originally submitted to
him, for transmission to Congress: and to
the extent and to no greater extent, to
which Congress shall approve the esti-
mates it shall appropriate the amount of
20 per centum thereof, and the remaining
80 per centum shall be levied and assessed
upon the taxable private property and
privileges in the District
Congress Controls Expenditures.
Under the act it is manifest at a glance
that the District may do absolutely moth
ing in the way of expenditure of money
without the previous approval Of Con-
gress: and, as respects the division of
taxation, the principle of the act has
since its passage remained untouched
except that it has been enlarged in favor
of the United States by including in the
expenses to be provided for other mat
fat+S ~ fnr in a COS of n N a
nance. of the Court of Appeals and the
Supreme Court of the District of Column
bia, the expenses of which. as well as of
the Police Court. the Municipal Court and
the Juvenile Court. are now borne equally
by the United States and the District.
And very significant and important
provision of the act is the following
(Section -:
"All taxes collected shall be paid into
the Treasury of the nited States, and
the same. as well as the appropriations
to be made by Congress as aforesaid
shall be disbursed for the expenses of
said District, on itemiZed vouchers, which
shall have been audited and approved
by the auditor of the District of Column
bia, certified by said Commissioners, or
a majority of them; and the accounts of
said Commissioners. and the tax col
lectors, land all officers required to ac-
count. shall be settled and adjusted by
the accounting Officers of the Treasury
Department of the United States.
A Scheme of Government.
OF itself this provision is the strongest
possible evidence of the intention of Con-
gress to establish for the District a
scheme of government. the dominant and
primarily responsible power in which, in
conformity to the contemplation of the
Constitution. should be the nation in
aid of which manifest intention is that
other provision of the act (Section 10.
that the Commissioners should draft
and submit to Congress such additional
laws or amendments to existing laws as
in their opinion are necessary for the
harmonious working of the system here
by adopted and for the effectual and
proper government of the District of Co.
lumbia
That in passing the organic act of 1875
Congress intended to assume more fully
than heretofore it's proper position in
respect of the, government of the District
and to weld into one system. as far as
practicable. the hitherto separately exer-
cised functions of administering the af-
fairs of the National Capital is apparent
as has been definitely recognized and de-
clared by the Supreme Court of the
United States in the familiar case OF
Eckloff agt. District of Columbia O3!
L. s.. 240, wherein the court. affirming
a Judgment of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, and characteriZine
one of the provisions of the act as Gre
ating unity of administration said:
Decision in Eckloff Case.
1.-The court below placed its decision or
what we conceive to be true significance
of the act of 1873. AS said by that court
it is to be regarded as an organic act