Evening star., 1922-02-08
Congress and the District.

Congress and the District.
Appropriately closing the debate on
the District appropriation bill in the
House yesterday, Representative Moore
of'Nirginia. whose longtime close ac-
quaintance with the District has given
him clear and comprehensive knowi-
edge of local affairs. spoke "out Of
order" by unanimous consent. on the
general subject of District legislation
and the consideration by Congress Of
the needs of the National Capital mu-
nicipality. Prefacing his remarks with
the statement that he does not believe
In local self-government, but that he
favors national representation for the
District, he set forth four proposals: ~
A joint District committee to consider
all bills relating to the District. report
ing separately to the two houses OF
simultaneously, and promoting CO.
herency in expedition in the handling
of District matters; (2) more oppor-
tynity for considering and disposing
Of District measures. real District days
free from general debate, mainly for
the benefit Of constituents (S) sub
mission of District estimates to Con-
gress directly and not through the
budget bureau: (D jurisdiction over ap-
propriative as we'll as legislative pro-
posals for the joint District committee.
While these proposals constitute
decided departure from traditional
consideration by Congress as the Dis
tricts legislature. Their considera-
tion will necessarily involve many fac
tors, primarily that of the RESPONSE
bility which rests directly upon Con-
gress for the care and development Of
the District municipality, the seat OF
government.
1t cannot be Gainsaid that under the
present system the District has suf-
fered, in delay of needed improve
ments. in inadequacy of provision, in
lack Of timely legislation both con-
structive and protective. 1t has Sc
cured its betterments and advance
ments only by dint of the most per-
sistent effort, often covering periods of
years. Its needs have been met in in
adequate measure.
Whether the remedy for this condi-
ton lies in joining of the District
committees or in investment of the
District committees-single or sepa-
rate-with appropriative jurisdiction
or the separation Of the District esti-
mates from the budget system is a
matter for. discussion. There can be
no doubt, however, as to the second
point of Representative Moore's pre-
scription. The District gets the crumbs
Of time from the legislative table. Its
"day" in the House is rarely observed.
or, when actually scheduled, the ses-
sion is frequently devoted to miscel-
1aneous speeches which, as Repre-
sentative Moore says. could just as
we'll be printed without being delivered
as delivered in advance to very small
audiences"
In respect to the appropriations, the
responsibility rests definitely and final.
1y upon Congress in whatever form
the estimates are received and through
what medium. In this matter Wash
ington has suffered with other cities
during the war from the neglect OF
municipal needs. After the war there
was proper necessary curtailment OF
expenses all along the line: that is, in
respect to those expenses which have
been swelled by the war and its ef-
fects. But there was no reason for
failure to resume the normal peace
time scale of District expenditures,
and there was particularly no reason
for failure to meet the urgent larger
Feeds Of a permanent character that
had been neglected during the war. At
present the District is caught between
the two economies-that which Tor.
bade the undertaking Of permanent
improvements and large development
projects while war was raging, and
that which compelled cuftailnents
after the war and forbade the natural
increase in municipal peace expehdi-
lures to satisfy the unmet municipal
needs. neglected and accumulated in
war time.
The submission Of the District esti-
mates to the budget bureau renders
them subject to curtailment along
with all others, whereas the municipal
figures should be treated just the
other way. Representative Moore has
put his finger on vital point when
he notes that injustice is done to the
District. the special charge of Con-
gress, the helpless National Capital
municipality, without voice or vote. in
its treatment in appropriations with
out recognition of the fact that 1t is a
living, growing organism.
The United States Senate has, by
this time had enough experience in
treaty consideration to be able to work