Evening star., 1922-09-26
Budget Bureau Equities.


even though Congress, under the Con-
s,itution, serves as the Districts mu-
nicipal legislature.
Since. however. the budget bureau
is. in fact, substituted for Congress in
the initial shaping or mutilating in de-
tail of the Commissioners estimates.
the bureau in funCtioninG should take
at least the same precautions that
Congress does To make its decisions
wise and just. The capital community
heartily appreciates the recognition Of
Ibis equitable obligation by the bu-
yeau. which is involved in the hearings
that began today.
Through hearings before Subcom-
n.ittceS Of the House and Senate ap-
propria tons committees every item OF
the Commissioners estimates may be
explained and defended. and the sub
committees supple ment exhaustive
hearings with personal inspection Of
the capitals needs and defects.
II the budget bureau is like Con
rress to fix the items Of District ap
i,ropria lions it recognizes that it should
live 10 those interested the same
thorough and patient hearings that
Congress always nomirally. and often
actually. gives. An alien legislature
nat is. legislature not elected by and
responsible To those for whom il lcGis-
iates-howcver good ills intentions and
however great its care 10 hear petit
lions at hearings. is likely through in
difference or miSinformation to make
many hurtful legislative mistakes.
These mistakes are multiplied II the
alien legislative body. lacking time for
ADEQUATE hearings and personal in
vestisation of municipal needs, Is re-
auired TO guess at the municipality
money requirements and to cut and
slash without full knowledge of condi-
lions the Commissioners carefully pre-
pared estimates.
1t does not do 70 say that the budget
bureau does not legislate and does not
Iix District appropriation figures. In
effect 1t fixes a maximum Though not
ii minimum) for these figures. In gen
rral, Congress refrains from even con
sidering increases of our budget fig
lIres. though it does not hesitate in re-
spect to District appropriations TO cut
still deeper.
In appropriating for the capital
municipality the budget bureau, as
we'll as Congress. will in equity keep
in mind ID that more than 60 per cent
Of the money which they are appor-
rioning among municipal needs will be
contributed by the people Of the mu-
nicipality; (2l that the local taxpayers
have accumulated to pay their share
of the cost of meeting the accumulated
unmet municipal needs of the war
time nearly five million dollars, to
which the nation, under the law OF
1878, under which the surplus accumu-
lated. is under obligation to add for
capital expenditure a like amount: 81
that Congress, the Districts local
legislature, will not permit the capital
municipality to increase its revenues
by borrowing money through bond
issues like other American municipal
ties. and that the money appropriated
must pay not only for current main
fenance. but for permanent improve
suenfs on the pay-aS-yOu-go basis; and
~ that the postbellum retrenchment
of the nations war expenses, which
the budget bureau is systematically
to enforce, has no application to ex-
penditureS meeting the municipal
needs of the capital, which were neces-
sarily neglected and permitted to ac-
cumuIate uninet in the war time.
For FIVE years we bore, at first in
directly and then directly, the burden
of world-war conditions and conse-
.1uences. War monopoliZed US, our Ia
oors and our. treasure. in patriotic
and self-sacrificing service.
We must economize now that the
war is over; that is. we must econo-
uize in those matters which relate to
war making and war-preparedness. We
nave been wisely extravagant in war
expenditures, and this extravaganza is
now to cease. We have not been ex-
travagant, but scrimping and neglect
full in outlays for the capitals munich
pal maintenance and development, and
especially in outlays for permanent
public improvements, which have had
no direct relation to war-making.
These wise projects. both Of just
municipal maintenance and Of per-
nanent municipal upbuilding. like
those relating to schools, streets and
water-supply plant, properly pushed
aside in order to give Uncle Sam full
swing in the war-making functions.
ought now to receive from budget bu-
reau and from Congress the thought
full, liberal and sympathetic considera-
tion which they deserve. In respect to
them, not retrenchment Of appropria-
tion but deliberate and substantial
increase is the demand of wisdom and
equity. And in meeting now these
great municipal needs neglected in
war time all the resources of the Dis.
trict ought to be utilized, including
the unexpended tax surpluses Of the
past, reasonable taxation Of the pres
ent and just participation in contribu.
fion (by bond issue or through loans or
advances by nation to District Of tax
payers of the near future, who will
profit more than anybody else from the
completion and utilization Of great
permanent public improvements.