Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13

of pubic Improvement. like the Great
Falls water power project. We're post
poned because the revenue was not i'm
ulrdiately available. The characteristic
feature Of the Commissioners proposals
was tn. fostering Of projects Tor inc Det-
term, at of conditions affecting the people
81 tdc community along the lines OF
health. education. mental and moral up
lift
TIL, House cut down the Commission
crs' estimates by S%."|,un emitting or
reducing such items the following:
Physical valuation of pubic utilities
tuttN h, carried elSewi here. SlinhH. mt
lrcipal hospital. SCOOPS; inehriate hos
uital S1Jus: central sto! ehous2. SlS6.-
uut: municipal marNCt 'plansi. SoUu,
rcw bathing beaches. S>1.."hi: Patterson
tract PARK S;1-,.tpo: reconstruction OF
wharveS S.rh.ouI. fish wharf and market.
>l2J.so": Ref,ning road viaduct. Sl1o.r1:
rcpavin= part Of 9TH street. S""S: re
Si!rfaCiu. approa CheS 10 HighWav bridge.
>.;ou,s, alteration Of Pennsylvania Ave
me hridG". S'i"'n1. Fairgrounds TeduC-
,lon Of $500. pubic convenience sta
ttons. 81 ."uu. teachers longevity pay trc-
fu,.tion, So ~. altering aad re'npdehnG
i.ut,Iic school biIiidinss ana grounds. $50
,sp,. new school buildings ueiHrtIoni.
Sto.. puo- police increase. Sss..'.'': perrra
ncrt improvements iirs department.. $50.
.4~ improvement Of Eastern Branch
hats SIonns
Nre not these items all wise and eco
a,nical expenditures for the car'tal' II
any OF them are not approved hN Ton
-css H. there not :. long list of trNine
needs ~ the District along other lines
which congress may IN paw substitute
for tn" Commissioners proposals II ITS
T..Sf Judgment dictates This course.
M uuNiSe Law prevents the commits
Siouors from suggesting to congress any
alternative methods "f expendinS the
District revenues and confines them 10 a
srgIe line ~ proposals within the limits
80 the probable revenues. The result fol
lows that if Congress disapproves any
suggested expenditure there remains AN
HneXpended surplus of District revenue
unless Congress substitutes some other
wise expenditure in its place. If Con
Sress does not substitute some better
method of spending this revenue than
that proposed by the Commissioners and
rejected by Congress. the Districts leg
stature is hIamable. The reasoning
which treats this failure Of Congress TO
select from the many municipal needs OF
the District sufficient to absorb the avail
able revenues as proof of the absence of
such needs and of an excess of local rev.
.aue is fallacious and palpahly unjust.
Every dollar of available District rev.
cuue under the act OF 1875 is absolutely
nceded and should be now applied by
congress ~ to adequate current MAIN
tcnance. bringing neglected branches up
provements and projects of development.
adding To the municipal plant for the
benefit OF posterity we'll as the present
generation: and C'i to payment of the
legitimate floating debt of the District,
including newly discovered Indebtedness
like that in connection with the heavy
additional charge against the District
taxpayers for the care at 81. Eliza beth 5
al such of the nations insane as have
been arbitrarily and noalinally treated
in the past as hailng from the District.
Under the previous local administration
the amount of District revenue not abso-
.utely needed for current municipal main
tenance was used largely in great ma
;ional projects at the capital increasing
The atTactiveness and incidentally I'M
proving the health of the city. Under the
present local administration the plan is
70 utilize the funds left after current
maintenance needs are met in the phys
zeal. mental and moral bettertuent of the
people of the community as distinguished
from the material city. Every dollar
raised by doubling of the city's taxes
which Is not expended in meeting cur
rent needs is needed and should be spent
other of the two lines above indicated, |
or IL should be apportioned between them.
that both the city as capital and the
people of the capital community may be
benefited.
The truth that every dollar of this reve-
nue. Is needed for capital maintenance
and development Is not altered by the
fact that some congressman after cutting
down current maintenance appropriations
10 the lowest point would make little pro-
vision for capital development along
either of these lines. and would seize for
the United States the surplus of District
revenue thus unlawfully created. either
on the pretext of some imaginary ancient
debt or of refunding of some payment
alleged to have been improperly made for
The District by the nation. or by turning
this unlawful surplus into the Treasury
as miscellaneous receipts. and thus de-
voting District funds to national uses.
Examination of what has been accom-
J.lished in past administrations In munich
pal betterment by this District revenue
above the cost of current municipal main
tenance and of what the present Commits
sioners proposed to accomplish with it in
such municipal betterment and of the
outstanding projects of capital develop
nlent like the AnacoSua fats reclama-
ton. Great Falls power development ana
bigh-pressure fire-hghting system for the
business section will convince any unbias-
I'd investigator that much more than the
revenues derived under the organic act
can wisely and economically and in the
public interest be expended on the Won
derfuly developing capital.
Since the tax burden imposed upon the
Washngtonian by the present system IS
reasonable. neither too light nor much too
heavy AID since the fund derived from
This reasonable taxation, when doubled,
will not exceed the amount required for
"a nital maintenance and development. no
change or disturbance of the existing
financial relation should for a moment
he considered.