Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-15
Washington's Plea to the Senate.

Washington hopes that the Senate
appropriations committee and the Sem
ate itself will view as the Houses real
proposal Of District appropriations for
the next fiscal year the bill as it came
from the House appropriations COM
n1ittee with increases or decreases Of
itenas on their merit by the House,
and not the bill as it actually came to
the Senate, suffering point-of.order
million and a million dollars. These
omitted items represented the DELHI
crate judgment Of the House appro-
priations committee, and, as the action
OF the House on similar items shows,
would have been unanimously ap-
proved by the House but for the inter.
vention of the point of order.
The habit Of District appropriations
procedure gives practical point to this
suggestion and appeal to the Senate.
First the boards Qike the school board,
Public Library board, etc., whose ap-
preparations are carried in the District
bill, and the heads of the District
building departments make careful
itemized estimates Of the money need
ed to meet the maintenance and de-
veiopment expenses Of their respective
branches Of municipal administration.
Then the Commissioners cut and CO.
ordinate these aggregated estimates,
apportioning the money thought to be
available among municipal functions
in accordance with their relative needs
Then the budget bureau cuts millions
from the estimates, not because mu-
nicipal needs do not demand the full
appropriations. but because Uncle Sam
as a quasi capital taxpayer cannot
spare at this time his share Of the
money required to meet adequately
vital municipal needs. Then the House
appropriations committee and the
House invariably cut million or two
millions or three millions from the al
ready twice-mutilated estimates. Then
the Senate Is in the habit Of adding
TWO or three millions to the House
bill. And finally in conference the two
houses compromise upon and enact
into law District appropriations about
midway between the sum proposed by
tho House and that proposed by the
Senate.
Washington urges that the Senate's
customary two or three millions Of
proposed increase to meet more ade-
quately obvious municipal needs
should not be reduced by inclusion in
Il OF the nearly three-quarter millions
Of dollars representing the real pro
posal Of the House in its fullness, but
cut from the formal bill by the techni-
cality Of the point of order Excluding
items OF specific demerit in the Sen
ate's opinion these point-of-order items
should, Washington suggests. be auto
uratically restored to the District bill
as part Of the Houses real proposal,
and the Senate's customary increases
should be over and above this enlarged
House District bill.
The urgent need Of the immediate
expenditure Of millions to remedy as
far as possible wartime neglects in
respect to schools, streets, water sup
ply, etc, justifles Washington in urg-
ing the Senate to make the absolute
maximum Of wholesome helpful in
creases in the District appropriations.
II the Senate should restore to the Dis
trict bill every one Of the Houses
point order items its customary role
Of benefactor by wise increases over
the House proposals would not be end.
ed, but would only just be beginning.