The Washington times., 1916-05-18
ExTRAvAdANcE ELSEWHERE,
ECONOMY HERE

There will be a good deal of dis
affection over the treatment which
District Of Columbia business re-
ceives in the District appropriation
bill, reported to the House today.
Perhaps the event will prove that
alarm is a little premature, for it is
always to be remembered that the
Senate committee and the Senate
have been the best friends Of this
town. They may be able to save the
day at least for a number Of the
appropriations that the Commission
ers asked.
This years budget Of estimates
from the Commissioners was the
largest ever submitted to Congress.
From it the bill as reported has lop-
ped off $500, 900, leaving the total
of the measure 81, 631 900. OF this
69.3 per cent is to be paid from Dis
trict revenues and the remainder
from the Federal Treasury.
Abrogation Of the half-and-half
plan is directed by the House meas
ure. IT would be less unpalatable il
there were a good-faith effort to
compensate by liberal appropriation
for improvements, parks, etc., to be
paid for from the elastic national
contribution. It was commonly
promised, when the half-and-half
abolition became a reasonably as
sured policy, that the Federal Gov
eminent would continue liberal at
titude toward the city, and that
things really needed would be pro-
vided for, whether the local revenues
were sufficient to foot the bills or
not. 1t must be said that the House
measure does not represent a fair
execution of this, understanding.
Thus, there have been eliminated
the provision for building a new
municipal hospital. 1t is understood
that this results in large part from
the insistent protest that was made
against the proposed site at Four.
teenth and Upshur streets, and that
to the hospital per Sc the commit
tee was strongly favorable. 1t il
hoped that an adjustment may b.
reached by which the Senate and tn,
conference will insert such a pro
vision.
The omission Of appropriations II
buy the Dean tract in Mt. Pleasant
and the Patterson tract in the north
east, for park purposes, accounts fol
$1,125,000 Of the reductions from
the Commissioners estimates. i
happens that in the matter Of pro
vision for parks the Senate has al
ways been the best reliance; ant
further than this, there is reason
for the understanding that tn,
House committee was not yer.
strongly opposed to these parks. !
is suspected Of emitting them il
order to have the item as "tradinI
stock" to use with the Senate whel
the measure goes to conference.
The proposals for municipa
garbage plant and municipal lodg
ing house have been ignored in tn
House bill. Both these establish
ments are greatly needed, and 1t |
earnestly to be hoped that the Sen
ate will find reasons to put Their
into the measure, and that tn
House will permit them to re
main. This kind of municipal bet
terment is no longer regarded as SC
cialistic or experimental. It REP
resents good, accepted municips
practice all over the country, an
other countries.
Congress has chance this year I
end the long quarrel over fiscal re
lations between the Nation and tn
; Capital City. If it will, after abrc
eating the half -and-half plan, dis
play such liberality as will insur
the continued progress and satisfa,
J tory development of the city, and il
! dictate that there is no purpose {
| imposing on the local taxpayin
, body, meeting the entire expense {
, development consonant with the dis
: nifty of a national city, it will r,
/ store confidence in marked measur
The House committee bill sugges
quite too pointedly the idea TIL
/ Congress has begun a process t,
= whiting down the Federal COZ