Evening star., 1920-02-29
NEEDS
J DESCRIBED BY
! Commissioners
Estimate-Limit Law Should
4 Be Repealed to Permit
T Proper Appropriations.


The campaign for this repeal has
received n powerful impulse toward
enactment from the vigorous approval
of the legislation by the Commission
ers in their annual report for 1913. In
this report they show conclusively the
accuma ia tion of unmet municipal
needs, which. neglected by Congress
in the war time. now demand millions
of Appropriation to meet arrearageS.
They show how through neglect OF
these urgent needs there has accumu-
lated over 81. .G00.000 of so-called sur
plus of uneNpended District taxes.
they demonstrate that the law of 1909.
which restricts their estimates, Is
largely responsible for these neglect
ed needs by preventing the Commls-
sioners from bringing them to the
consideration of Congress in their es-
Inmates.
The Commissioners say:
The world war has affected the Dis
trict of Columbia in two ways. each
of which demands an accelerated pro-
gram of municipal Improvement, it
has largely and permanently in
creased the population. although In
what precise degree cannot yet be
determined. and it has necessarily
halted the orderly and regular de-
velopnlent which would have gone on
If there had been no war. In COM
country the District also is anected
by the Increase in costs of material
and labor. so that it requires great
er number OF dollars to do given
amount of work.
So that, with a greater population
than ever before and with practically
NO Increase In facilities and with q
deferred maintenance of serious pro-
portions affecting almost all physicnl
Rlants of the municipal government.
the District needs are more various.
more extensive, and more fmperat tive,
perhaps, than they ever have been.
Because Of the Limitations OF law
placed upOn them the Commissioners
In their annual estimates have not
been able to present to COnErcss the
actual requirements OF the city gov
ernment hut have presented only those
matters that seemed to them to be
Aoat important or most pressing.
SCHOOL Pay and Water supply.
The salary schedule for officers and
employees of the District should be re-
vised to provide adequate compensa-
tion commensurate with the impor-
tance of the duties performed and in
accordance with the greatly increased
cost of living.
There. is a most urgent necessity
crease in the water supply, the de-
mands upon the system having ex-
ceeded its safe capacity for the last
two summers SO that water oonsump-
tion had to be restricted.
The school system requires new
buildings and an increased stan of
teachers in order that every child may
have a ful1-time school day and that
the system may meet the additional
demands made upon it.
There should be. and that without
delay, greatly augmented street and
highway improvement program: there
should be prompt provision of
modern bridges where existing struc-
lures are not fitted to carry the bur-
dens Of modern traffic: there should
be park.extension program that
would save certain areas for park
purposes that may soon be unavail-
able; and there should be provision
for modern equipment and accommo-
dattons for the several refuse disposal
systems lately come under the direct
supervision of the District govern
Ment.
Police, Firemen and Hospitals.
Increases in the personnel Of the po-
lice department.. as we'll as in the
salaries OF Its members. are made i'm
perative by the growth Of the city;
the fire department needs not only
better salaries, but 1t should be ex-
panded by the provision OF additional
houses in newly built-up sections Of
the city. and. above all. it should be
modernized by the substitution of mo-
tor equipment for horse-drawn ap-
paratus.
Funds and additional authority are
most urgently needed that the Com
missioners may proceed with the con-
struction of the Gallinger Municipal
Hospital. an institution for thirty
years an acknowledged need. and
YAach should be placed in operation
p soon as is humanity possible to re-
N hA f,,Il,
t4gton Asylum Hospital Then, too,
Aere is most urgent need for Q Dis
tftct of Columbia institution for the
cfre OF the feeble-minded. and for a
Hw institution to take the place OF
4e antiquated Industrial Home
Yrhese matters to which attention Is
Here called are referred to at greater
i1ngth hereafter. as are many other
Yatters or very great Importance
Which are omitted here only for the
sfke of brevity.
olicy OF Constructive Liberalitx.
Srhe Commissioners express the
ekrnest hope that a way will be pro-
W0eo by which they will be able to
laZ-before the Congress the necessary
enates for these improvements,
sftvices and institutions. They feel
Il es necessary In the national interest
tfkt the District Of Columbia catch
wieh the tine.. and they hope they
AZ NOT too optimistic when they make
Dp0 to predict that future Of won.
dftf4l greatness lies before the can't
OF the Erent American republic
Wnieh Will Justify upon the part of
GSnkrens policy of constructive
1nsesaily In the provision fer fits
1sesent needs and Its future develop
By provision contained in the Dis
frict OF Columbia appropriation act for
the fiscal year 1910. the Commissioners
are prohibited from submitting to Con-
grtss estimates for the expenses OF the
government of the District Of Columbia
wnich shall exceed in aggregate an
amount double the total estimated rev
enues for the year in which such esti-
mates are submitted.
How Limit Leads to Surplus.
When the Commissioners were pre-
pairing their estimates to Congress- for
the ensuing fiscal wear. they made
material reductions in the estimates
submitted to them. and they also ma dc
no estimates tor increases In salaries.
because That matter was being -consid-
ered by the joint commission on reclas-
sincation Of salaries. When the total
OF these reduced estimates was found
TO be $22 .S65. .s7603. because Of the lim-
ttation OF the law above referred to. II
was necessary further to reduce them
to SIS 242 .0o6.o3 These estimates. there
fore, fell short Of the actual needs of
the District by the sum of $4.623. .S7O.
At the came time there is a surplus OF
District revenues over all charges aris-
ing under appropriations at the close
Of the fiscal year ended June 80, 1919
Of 81, ,063. .922 Is. made up Of accumula-
tions by fiscal years as follows:
Fiscal year ended
June -, 1915. ..................el.Ss 81 $40. .2iS. %
June go 1917. sl7.................. 61s. 7ss. II
dune 80, 1919. 8le.................. 783, ,23S y
Total ........................s4 s4. .oes. .s22 IS