Evening star., 1922-02-26
Rate by Maii-Payable in Advance.
<-;.t MA6Yl4nd and Vir0inia
No War Scrimping Now.

The Senate appropriations commit
tee. is now shaping the District bill,
and the principle upon which the bill
items OF appropriations are to be de-
termined.
Washington appeals to the Senate
and, through the Senate, to Congress
10 increase the sums Of appropriation
in the House bill by millions to meet
in time Of peace the accumulated un-
met needs, neglected in time of war. as
for. instance those for water-supply in
crease. school buildings, street con-
struction, improvement and repair.
etc, etc.
Washington urges that its munich
pal appropriations bill should be han
dled by its local legislature on diff
ferent basic lines of principle from
those wisely followed by the national
legislature In changing national ap-
propriations from the war to the peace
basis.
Washington urges that the govern
ment's radical reductions OF war ex-
renditures, whether made through the
budget bureau or directly by the
House. do not in reason apply to the
municipal expenditures Of the Capital
city.
Municipal peace-time expenses were
cut down and municipal needs neglect
ed in the war time, when all our re-
sources were diverted and devoted to
heswinning OF the war.
We were patriotically extravagant
IN olr war-expenditures. and now that
necessity for them has passed We must
drastically cut down in these war ex-
penditures.
Through the budget bureau and by
direct action Of the House deep cuts
have been properly made in national
and especially war expenditures.
But the principle on which these re-
6uctions are wisely made does not ap-
Ply at all to municipal expenditures,
which are now to be increased in order
to make up for wartime neslects, and
not to be decreased. Under the pro-
cedure which is being followed Wash
ington's municipal expenditures are
cut. In both periods inconsistently and
unjustly. They are cut in war time
with resulting neglect of municipal
needs, and they are cut again in peace
time twhen they ought to be increased)
through confusion Of Districts mu-
nicipal appropriations with national
wartime appropriations. and the ap-
plicatl0n Of the same principle Of dras-
tic cutting to both.
We are told that we must economic
when rightly understood, that we must
economize in those matters which re-
late to war-making and war-prepared-
ness. We have been wisely extrava.
CANT In war expenditures and this ex-
travagance Is now to cease.
We have not been extravagant. but
scrimpdng and neglectful. in outlays
for municipal maintenance and de-
velopment, and especially in outlays
for, permanent public improvements,
which have had no direct relation to
war-fnakins.
IneSe WISE pi oJSSeS VI PSA
municipal upbuildins. properly pushed
aside in order to give Uncle Sam full
swing in the war-making function,
are now to receive the thoughtful,
liberal and sympathetic consideration
which they deserve.
The thoughtful District legislator
who examines into District conditions
discovers an appalling accumulation
ofcunmet municipal needs. neglected
in the war time. which demand the
wise and economical expenditure OF
millions, now that Uncle Sans call
TO us to sacrifice everything else to
the nations defense ceases to sound
in our ears.