Evening star., 1923-03-02
District Surplus Situation.

Washington is disappointed that a
point of order prevented the Senate
from attaching an amendment to the
pending deficiency appropriation bill!
settling the account between the
United States and the District and de-
claring available for appropriation the
surplus in favor of the District found
by the joint select committee to exist.
The finding Of the existence and
amount of the surplus expresses the
opinion Of all the Senate members Of
the joint committee and two out Of
three Of the House members. The
Senate and House District committees
have both approved the legislation
which closes the account Of the United
States and the District in conformity
with the recommendation Of the joint
committee. IT is too late in the session
to enact this legislation except as an
amendment to an appropriation bill,
and the point of order in the Senate
prevents its enactment as an appro-
priation bill rider.
The situation. however, presents
features Of qualification and encour-
agement to the people Of Washington.
The basic queries propounded to the
joint select committee were: (D What,
IL any, surplus in favor of the District
exists in the Treasury as shown by
the Treasury books? t2) What credits.
legal or moral, in favor Of the United
States or Of the District exist to de-
crease or SO increase this surplus?
The Treasury Department. through
the controller general and the general
accounting Office, with representatives
OF the Department Of Justice assent
ing, answers the first question by re-
porting an existing concrete balance
il the Treasury to the credit OF the
District of more than seven million
dollars, to be reduced by payment Of
outstanding obligations to the four and
one-half millions of free surplus found
and reported by the joint Select COM
n1ittee.
The committee, basing its decision
on the findings of its own accountants
and on the representations Of the
Treasury Department, the Depart
nent of Justice and of the auditor
and accountants representing the DIS
trtct. finds that the Districts surplus
on the Treasury books must. If moral
and legal considerations are applied,
be reduced by comparatively small
amount, leaving the net free surplus
in favor of the District which the
joint committee finds and reports to
Congress.
Today's net result is not hurtful to
the District. For the controller gen.
erals office has itself exploded the de-
lusiori that our surplus is myth, and
failure Of Congress to act upon the re-
ductions in this surplus recommended
by the joint committee leaves intact
the surplus found by the Treasury De-
partment and the joint committee to
exist to the Districts credit in the
Treasury.
To be sure, the account between
the United States and the District has
not been closed, as SO many in and
out of Congress desired, in the inter-
est Of peace and Of National Capital
welfare. But the actual existence Of
real District surplus has been dem.
onstrated or admitted, and II future
Congress shall ghoulishly resurrect
dead and buried alleged indebtednesses
of the past, whether of principal or
interest, against the District. the Dis
trict is prepared to demonstrate to
any equitable tribunal that as a resur.
rectionist 1t can dig up more District
credits than can be unearthed in
favor of the United States.