Evening star., 1915-03-29

Congress to select from alternative
propositions of needed improvements
the items aggregating the amount OF
appropriations which II was willing to
make. II this amount was less than
double the local tax revenue surplus ~
favor Of the District went over for its
benefit to subsequent years. tne
appropriated amount was more tnan
double the local revenue the United
States advanced to the District as
temporary loan, with interest, the
amount Of this deficit By this sys-
tenn Congress was fully informed as 8
to the needs of the District and used
its Judgment in selecting those which
in that year the District and the
United States could jointly AFFORD 70
satisfy. A rough account was kept
between the District and the United
States which gave some flexibility to
the appropriations. Any lack OF equity
in the adjustment of the account was
invariably to the disadvantage of the
District. since 1t always repaid with
interest the advances which repre-
sented its debts. and since 1t sometimes
failed to have its credits. Its tax sur
pluses over half OF the appropriations.
later used for Its full benefit on the
half-and-half basis When the ma
tIonal partner made an advance to the
local partner the amount was always
repaid with interest. When the local
partner made an advance to the ma
tlonal partner no interest was paid on
the loan. and sometimes the principal
was not repaid in full. The arrange
ment was. on the whole, wise and bene-
fetal, Notwithstanding these occasional
minor inequities suffered by the Dis
trict.
By act Of March 3. 1909, So Stat. 72s.
the Commissioners are required not to
submit estimates In excess of twice
the estimated revenue of the District
after taking into consideration all
charges against said revenues in other
than the District bill.
This unwise law prevents the Com
missioners from suggesting to Con-
gress any alternative methods of ex-
pending the District revenues and con-
lines them to a single line of proposals
within the limits Of the proba BILE rev.
enues. The result follows that if Con-
gress disapproves any suggested ex-
penditure there remains an unexpended
surplus OF District revenue. unless
Congress substitutes some other wise
expenditure In it's place. If Congress
does not substitute some better method
Of spending this revenue than that
proposed by the Commissioners and
rejected by Congress, the DISTRICTS
Legislature Is blamable. The reasoning
which treats this failure of Congress
to select from the many municipal
needs Of the District sufficient to abb
sorb the available revenues as PROOF
of the absence of such needs and of an
excess of local revenue is fallacious
and palpablv un Just.
Study OF the Commissioners estimates
and OF the appropriations based upon
them FOR the years since 1900 disoloses
some interesting facts. The law above
cited became operative upon the esti-
mates OF 1901. The estimates OF Dis
trict needs for the previous year when
the Commissioners were not limited in
the statement of their honest convictions
were SIS, ,130.995. In the first year that
the restriction applied the estimates
dropped TO s11 o4s.543. and the latest es-
tinlates were 12771,o54 Which of these
estimates represents fully and which in
adequately the Districts genuine needs?
Analysis Of the Estimates.
Whoever wishes to answer this ques-
ton correctly should analyze the follow
ing memorandum taken from Treasury
Book of Estimates" Of amount of esti-
mates submitted by Commissioners and
appropriations. fiscal years 19o0-1916.
inclusive.