The Washington times., 1919-11-29
Dc. WILL SEEK
LATITUDE IN
EXPENDITURES
Commissioners Desire Authority
To Use Discretion in Spend
ing Appropriations.
by BILL PRICE

the Commissioners will endeavor to
obtain authority for greater latitude
IN the use OF certain funds so thai
the discretion Of the Commissioners
may at times be followed rather than
being bound by strict limitations.
There are several illustrations u
this In the working OF District APP
preparation bills Congress, for ex-
money for the operation of the gar
oase reduction plant now owned by
the District That appropriation must
be spent for salaries and operation
n accordance with the limitations
imposed by the bill
The largest return from this re-
duction plant IL in the grease. The
price Of this grease during the pres
ent fiscal year has fluctuated between
) and 13 cents per pound. Regardless
OF whether this garbage might be
used to greater financial advantage
m raising hogs or otherwise the
Commissioners must continue for q
whole year along the lines laid down
by Congress Any private business
would fail quickly under such proce-
dure.
Eaerwenefes Arise.
In other words, Congress makes It's
appropriations for the District fully
one year In advance. The lawmakers
cannot possibly foresee what may arise
that far ahead IN these days of read
sustment- Ye. nowhere in the bin are
the Commissioners given discretion.
During any given year the price of
grease might 70 down to a point
where 10 would be far more profitable
to use the garbage for feeding hogs.
hut this cannot be done. because no
latitude Is allowed. The Commission
ers have no funds to buy hogs. no au-
tAority to use appropriations for gar
haxe reduction in any other way than
that carefully prescribed.
Here's another example: The Dis
tr'ct refuse plant. the location Of
which has caused such a big rumpus
for months. Is now operated by the
District. which had to take II over re-
Gently whe nthe contractors aban-
doned their contract
Under the appropriations of Con-
gress for the refuse plant so much
money was provided for doing the
work by contract. The contractor re-
tanned all the salvage of tin. paper,
etc. for himself. During the war the
rrice OF these salvaged articles
contractors. Old paper brought rather
fancy prices. The bottom dropped out
Of the old paper market since the
war
Now that the District Is operatin: ;:
the plant IL IL unable to retain any
money from salvage. II must imme-
diately be placed In the Treasury OF
the United States. The same thing IS
true of salvage from the garbage re-
duction plant
No Revolvfnx Fund.
Congress viii not permit anything
Ike revolving fund from salvage
which might At times he used to con-
siderable advantage. The law-makine
body for the District takes no chances
1t will make up deficiencies arising
out OF operations of District plants,
but places no discretion In the hands
Of the municipal authorities to seize
lpon opportunities that might be prof
table.
The work house and reformatory At
occoauan furnish still another ex-
ample II the hens down there pro-
duce an over supply OF eggs, as they
often do, the District can sell these
s-ss. but the money must 20 direct
into the Treasury and can not be
touched again.
While the egg sales are being made
and the money slowed away the
yorkhouse may be short of corn meal
TO feed the hens or pigs or turkeys.
The appropriation for that purpose is
exhausted. A deficiency must be
created, formally reported to Con-
gress, and an appropriation obtained
TO purchase corn meal
II the funds from the sale Of eggs
and other snail articles could be
placed in revolving fund and used
for the best purpose. much annoyance
20 Congress. much waste of time in
Federal and District bookkeeping
could be avoided. The hens themselves
would he encouraged and Charlie
Fosters official life as superintendent
would be frightened.
Pig Raising Experfneat.
Congress did authorize, il the
present appropriation. a small sum
for pig raising As an experiment in
using garbage
About 200 pigs were bought last
spring and placed in suitable shed 8
on the farm of the Home for the Aged
and Infrm at Blue Plains They were
fed for four months on garbage from
the Anacostia section. They thrived
ana were sOld Tor meat There DSlng
no more funds to buy more pigs, the
experiment stopped right there.
Financially the plan was not as
profitable as had been expected. but
thatwas due to market conditions
rhe pigs were bought when pork was
aonormally high. While they were
reaching the stage OF perfect edibility
ihe pork market began declining. and
when they we're sold they brought
prices far below those prevailing for
meat when they were first purchased.
But at the same time the price of
grease from garbage reduction was
falling sharply, and even with low
price hogs the garbage would be more
yaiuable turned into pork than turn
cd into grease
The Commissioners could not buy
any more pigs. having no revolving
Sund- Being unable to continue the
pig growing experiment for any
lensth OF time they are unable to re-
port clearly to Congress as to what
results might be IL sufficient time
we're allowed for experiments under
VARYING coadttionA