Evening star., 1922-08-27
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance
Maryland and Virginia.
All Other States.
Before.the.War Standards.


Congressional or other critics Of the
big budget the District Commissioners
proposed for the coming fiscal year
should bear in mind a fact that is
aptly illustrated by one item alone.
that Of the repair and maintenance of
suburban streets. Before the war
sl5O, 900 would do certain amount OF
that sort of work. Today it would re-
auire s225 900 to do as much. Why?
BECAUSE all prices are higher. material
and labor. In this case the advance is
so per cent.
Now suppose the Commissioners ask
for 1925 900 for the maintenance of
suburban roads. and get only S150,0oo,
the sum allotted in 1917. They can do
only about halt as much for it as they
did in 1917. And there are more sub
urban streets to care for and the
standard Of maintenance is or should
he higher and the use is greater. They
should be in position tn do half again
as much work as they did in 1917.
This consideration applies to prac-
tically all items of the District budget.
Costs have increased all along the
line. The government is finding this
true in it's own affairs. 1t cannot run
it's departments and bureaus on the
same scale as in 1917 with the same
money II has had to increase the al
lntments or cut off services. But when
/, comes to the maintenance OF the
capital municipality 1t demurs that
too much is asked and not so much
can be spent. although GO per cent of
what is spent comes out of the pockets
Of the people of the District. VINO are
eager to have it spent upon the neces-
sary works of capital upkeep and de-
velopment.
Why not regard the District budget
ms every business establishment re-
cards its annual estimates Of main
tenance, on a business basis-so much
work to be done to keep up to estab-
lished standards. so much gain in ac-
complishment due to increased bust
ness, so much for amortization or de-
probation. so much to make good ar
rears of past neglect. No commercial
Institution could survive a year after
year eurtailment of necessary funds
for expansion and maintenance. 1t
would suffer from strikes, from lost
trade. from shrinkage in values, from
loss OF credit.
Let the District have what it needs.
and measure those needs upon the
yardstick of experience. Take the mat
ter of schools. Everybody knows they
are crowded because there are not
enough buildings, crowded until they
are not functioning properly and chill
dren are not being properly taught.
At least $4,000, 900 should be appro-
priated for new structures in the bill
TO come. to be followed by another
s5,000,000 a year later, and perhaps
an equal sum the year following. That
is matter of common knowledge.
But the budget bureau. squeezing
down the District just as if it were a
full-nedged executive department in
sists upon cutting the school items in
the bill. and the prospect is that when
the bill is finally written and passed
this stringent policy will result in a
hare million or less for school in
creases, perhaps not enough to care
for the immediate annual addition to
the school population.
The hope is that the item of sub
urban roads. which so vividly illus
trates the danger Of framing the Dis
trict budget according to the terms Of
'before the war will be recognized as
typical and the truth will be realized
that the District cannot be maintained
properly or decently upon such a
basis.