Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-20

.s Kicking the District Around.
The Commissioners, having submitted
the annual estimates, begin their la
bors al the public utilities commission
This fact suggests that Senator Pom
creme In his recent wholesome talk Il
the Chamber of Commerce concerning
commission legislation and the short
cornings OF the. local public servic'
corporations was in effect vigorously
Smelling a position already captured
After n long and severe struggle. II
which senator Pomerene played help
rul part. the public utilities commits
sion has been secured and public
spirited tribunal. believed to be un'
biased. will soon be sitting as e cour'
in equity. hearing both sides Of each
issue brought before IL. and dispens'
ing even handed justice. After man,
DELAYS and disappointments the :'ls-
trict has moved to a point where Us
interests are safeguarded and protected
and where the relations between ths
community and the public service cor
porations are on sound and satis
factory basis.
on the other hand the relations De-
tween the District and the nation II
respect to government and in respect
to finance have been thrown into
chaos, and the friends Of the local com
munity. among whom we are glad Il
number Senator Pomerene, Will DO moss
helpful IL they hasten to give inteili'
gent and sympathetic consideration te
these relations and TO the urgent and
threatening issues arising out of them
- In respect to these relations Wash
ington has been buffeted from pillar
TO post. The most active Of It's con-
stitutional legislators In dealing with
Its finances are not constructive and
helpful, but perniciously destructive In
their activities. 1t does not soften the
blows inflicted and suffered that the
bufreters claim to have only the good
Of the bufYeted In mind. In this gen.
eral scourging of the District the as
sailants nullify the benefits alleged to
be intended by one another. but refrain
from interfering with one another In
respect to the blows, lashes and pain
ful wounds inflicted.
For example. musty records are ran
sacked far back of the period when In or
binary transactions the statute of limita-
, tons would bar inquiry to discover some
case where the nation has refused or neg
.lected or forgot to collect from the Nns-
tsict money that II might have exacted.
The money Of the local taxpayers Is used
against them TO finance these investiga-
tons and to fasten new and inequitaDae
burdens upon these taxpayers. There Ia
no legislator OF the District performing q
similar task for the local ccmmuniIy' s
benefit. or apparently paying the slight
est attention as al offset to back pay
rnents que the National Capital from the
nation Tor three-fourths OF q century of
neglect and violated obligations, or to
more recent Instances (since 1873 Of
fakrantiy ineouItan,e expenditure OF DIS
trict money AT only hair Its potential
value by failure to match II with money
by the organic act.
In regard TO government, IL the Dis
t-ict asks representation In Congress
some OF its legislators threaten IL with
bankruptcy by overthrow OF the or
ganic act And II Nasningtonians do
not ask representation they are de-
nounced as affects, willing slaves. SELL
ing their political birthright for mess
Of pottage. so base that they may with
out dishonor even be denied and
cheated of the alleged stipulated pot
tage. Under the practical application
OF the apportjonment-o of offices act the
only Nashingtonians eligible to the
classified service are those who have
acquired a legal voting residence In
= some state: other Washinxtonians are
q barred. In respect TO very few local
Offices eligibility is confined by the law
to the Washingtonians without votes In
the states. There is no one attempting
in the interest OF the District to repeal
or amend the law which thus shuts
out the Washington youth from en-
ployment In the national-local work
shops. and which exiles them and COM
'pels them to go abroad In order to be
eligible TO this employment at home.
On the other hand there Is persistent
effort to violate openly or by indirac-
ton the laws which give the District q
semblance OF indirect representation In
les government and quasi-home rule
by the eligibility requirement Of bona
tide local residence In respect to GER
tain otfces. The Washingtonians with
votes In the states and with the whole
classified service open to them are
siandered by being represented ~
covsting greediiy the tiny overland o,
patronage and representation enjoyed
under the law In respect 10 these few
= Offices BY their voteless fellow citizens
Not only Is the eligibility requirement
among Washingtonians treated as neg
ligibie. but In violation Of the home
rule pledge Of presidential nomination
convention platforms and Of candidate.
and In defiance Of the eternal equities
rank outsiders are imported TO al
petty and purely local Offices.
Under the public utilities commission
legislation the District will get fair pla,
from its public service corporations. 4
now needs fair play and sympathetic con
alteration from It's Legislators on Capt.
tol Hill and its executive officials in Tia,
White House and the District building.
Let everybody quit kicking the Distric
around. Let US return 10 the spi 1t Of ID,
days when statesmen were proud TO b,
acclaimed as benefactors OF the Natiena
- Capital Let US set away from the ides
row prevailing in some quarters that tn,
test OF statesmanship in respect to thi
4. community and the local body polite 4
20 be able TO boast: n am responsible,
For that ugly scar. inficted that bleed