Evening star., 1923-01-05


sioners now submit their climates to
the bureau of the budget and, as
will be seen by reference to the Sep
tember communication of the Com
missioners, they were told by the
bureau that maximum total of
$24, ,532.515 had been allocated to the
District, which amount the estimates
could not exceed"
'It is further true that they were in
sufficient to meet the absolutely
necessary requirements they could
submit a supplemental statement,
showing the additional amounts re-
CURED But they were given to un-
derstand that they must make every
amount allocated. The Vocation was
arbitrary. and it expressed the opinion
not of the officials of the District or
citizens Of the District. but of the
official of the bureau Of the budget
who had been placed In charge OF the
task of estimating the expenditures
that should be mades
Task for This Year.
Last year the official Of the bureau
who performed this task was former
senator Sherman OF Illinois, and this
year the Official Is Capt r. D. Ste
phens. Chicago lawyer, who took
service under Gen. Lord when the lat
ter was appointed 10 succeed Gen.
Dawes. I understand that Capt. Ste
phens Is a very capable and high
minded men, and II is not my purpose
70 level any criticism at him or at Mr..
sherman, but do point to the fact
as most extraordinary that the i'm
portant matter of passing on Dis
trict needs and District estimates is
intrusted to officials who by no pos
sibiiity can have that knowledge OF
the situation which is derived from
long years OF local experience and
observation.
It is as absurd to place that matter
under the control OF citizen of Illi-
nois, now to this environment, as II
would be for the legislature of the
state of Ohio to turn over to a citizen
of Washington or citizen of Micht-
gan the duty of estimating for the
necessary annual expenditures of, say
the city OF Cincinnati, which had ap-
proximately the same population as
Washington.
The Commissioners. in their com
munication TO the bureau of the
budget, did the best they could to
observe the arbitrary limit hxed by
the bureau, but they added a series
of supplemental estimates, amounting
timated for a total expenditure of
$30.S94.035, as against the bureau
limitation OF $24.532.515.
The subcommittee in control of
this bill held hearings for four days
and the biz as reported. cutting down
ried a total of $24,137,738, which is
less by over 100000 than the ap-
propriations for the fiscal year now
current And, as before stated, the
and pass a bill freshly printed, with
little or no prospect of any real
scrutiny or analysis of the various
subjects and items that are involved.
I'm saying all of this / am not ar
raigning the subcommittee on appro-
priationS, for whose members ! have
very great respect. That committee,
at the outset of the hearings before
II. by it's chairman said to the officials
of the District, THE committee has full
authority to take up any items it
thinks desirable and the Congress has
full authority to 20 to any extent
1T is not limited by the figures in
the budget. The appropriations COM
mittee, however, has adopted the rule
which governs this committee as IL
does every subcommittee, that we
will not, except In the most extraor-
dinary cases, recommend to the House
items not recommended by the
budget This was in effect stating
that, without the most extraordinary
showing, the conclusions of Capt.
Stephens OF Illinois would be adopted
by the subcommittee and reported to
Quarrel with Budget Law.
MY quarrel is not with the sub
committee or the committee on ap-
propriations. which, think, is doing
very valuable work, but with the
budget law, which illogically, and, as
It seems TO me, absurdly. classifies a
great municipality having nufnberiess
activities with the ordinary depart
ments of the government.
IT am thoroughly convinced now. as
I have been for some time. that mis-
take was made in including the Dis
trict of Columbia in the budget law.
and that the sensible thing would be
to amend that law and go back to the
former law under which the Commits
sioners submitted their estimates di-
rectly TO Congress.
IF could have my way, not acting
upon any mere theory, but for the pur
pose of bringing Congress into COM
mon sense relation to the District, l
would amend the budget law by ex-
Guiding tho District from its opera
ton, and in addition create a joint
committee Of the two houses on the
District OF Columbia, and vest that
joint committee with complete juris-
dictton to formulate and propose legis-
lation relative to the District, includ-
ing appropriation bills.
I'm my judgment. such recasting Of
the present system would not be In any
sense hurtful to the government, but
helpful 10 both the government and the
District. and II would tend TO remove the
increasing complaint that Congress,
which is crowded with business, Is un-
consciously more or less Indifferent TO
the interests of a great community over
which It has full control. The volume
of congressional business is evidenced
by the fact that about $4,000 bills and
Joint resolutions have been introduced
In the present Congress.
"All of my material interests lie in
Virginia am not property owner
or taxpayer here. But 1 know some
ting about the rapid growth and the
progressive needs of this locality. I
am the friend of the District, as 1 as
sumo every other member iR am
not however, blindly its friend
Last year, for example, l approved
the increase OF the tax on intangibles,
and perhaps myself suggested the
payment OF taxes IN inStallments. so
as to save the Treasury from some
burden. Coupled with my friendship
for the District is a strong desire
that Congress, as the governing body,
shall exercise its powers, which Is
practically without restriction, in the
most practical and effective manner
that is possible and so as to meet the
Just and reasonable expectations OF
the people who live here and who
pay an increasing proportion of the
expense of maintaining their institu-
TONS
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
nE HITI7ENc Tn llPGE