Evening star., 1916-08-15

have his constituents help improperly
to make up this local deficit in order to
enjoy himself the high reward of men
tion in the society columns of the
Washington papers.
The same thought is carried to its
logical conclusion in his final para
graph. A city is entitled, he says, to
expend for it's own benefit only what
it is willing to raise in taxes or to
borrow. No one is concerned in the city
of Washington except the Washington
taxpayers, and no one but these tax
payers should spend a cent in its main
tenance and upbuilding. If Washing-
ton insists on eating nothing but cake
it should be permitted to raise the
dough-" OF course, unrepresented w ASH
ington has nothing in the world to say
as to what it shall eat. If II eats mu-
nicipal cake 1t is not on account OF 1ts
insistence, but because Congress so de-
crees. Its only privilege in the matter
is that of raising the amount OF dough
which Congress determines TO exact
from it without it's consent
Congress Not Extravagant in D. c.
Expenditures.
The facts and figures submitted to
the joint fiscal committee tsee hear
ings. pages 1636-1640) show that Con-
gress, in its wisdom, has spent on the
Capital distinctly more in respect to
the most important items than self
governing and self-developing cities
have expended upon themselves.
Congress has, however, skimped in
it's expenditures on outlays-on per
manent improvements at the capital
for the benefit largely of the future
and has used part of the money thus
saved to pay on floating Indebtedness.
thus reducing the interest payments
on Indebtedness and to meet unex-
pected resurrected alleged ancient
debts.
Has Congress been extravagant in
these large expenditures of the nations
und the local eOmmunity's money on
current maintenance of the cnpitalf
No, Every cent of it and more was
needed. Analysis and study Of the an
nuaI estimates and appropriations Will
sbow list of absolute needs in cur
rent maintenance and permanent de-
yeIopmcnt disclosed each year by the
estimates and only partly met by the
appropriate tiOns.
This subject is discussed fully in our
brief in the argument that no more
money has been raised under the half
and-half law than is needed for cur
rent maintenance and reasonable de-
yelopment Analysis of the Commits
sioners' estimates for this year will
disclose the truth, both as to needs
of current maintenance and of per-
manent improvement, like the Great
Falls power exploitation project.
Study of the representations and the
demonstrated facts concerning the
needs of the capital submitted at the
hearings on the District bill before the
House and Senate subcommittee on
appropriations will bring the same con-
cluSion.
Repeatedly has Congress felt COM
PEELED by financial conditions to deny
the capital maintenance and develop
ment items whose necessity or great
desira bility was generally conceded. If
Congress has erred. it is not in the di-
rection of extravaganza, but in the di-
rection of an unwise and uneconomical
ECONOMY" Congress can never be
convicted of spending too much on the
capital, whatever might be the result
of it's trial on the charge of having
spent too little and of having left un-
satisfied obvious and conceded needs
both IN respect to certain items OF
maintenance and many projects of i'm
proyement of the munlclpalltys per-
manent equipment.
seeing economy should be applied to
all Of the capital expenditures, not 80
much because Congress is spending n
cont tributiOn of the nations money on
,b. nation,s city ns because II is spend
ing the money Of somebody else than
the nation upon the nations city, and
that somebody else is without voice In
the councils either as to taxation or
the expenditure of Its tax money. There
4. thus a double obligation upon Con-
1re.s to be genuinely and wisely eco
nOmical.
u,.eIx liberal and genuinely eco
nomicnI. for wise liberality and real
economy are identical.
Congress has not only been eco
r,ical~often too economical-in its
eapitai appropriations, but it has
thrown the Treasury safeguards about
the expenditure of these appropria-
tions of the nations and the local com
munity's money. 1t has thus protected
the capitals funds against grafters and
has rendered every dollar effective in
the amount of 100 cents for the benefit
of the capitals upbuilding.
The showing of unmistakable munich
pal needs made by the Commissioners
IN their estimates, restricted by an un-
wise law, and in the hearings before
the congressional appropriations sub
committee, indicated broadly that about
| S16 600 900 are now necessary annually
to maintain and develop the capital in