The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-26
The District Appropriation Bill
and Congressman Davis
By BILL PRICE.

man CHARLES R. DAVIS chairman Of the subcommittee Of
the House Appropriations Committee about the worse piece
Of neglect Of the needs Of the National Capital that has ever
been put together
From many strictly local aspects bad enough but from
the larger and important aspect of greater more
beautiful Washington which belongs the people Of the
whole nation and is beloved by the nation little short
Of crime.
There other Congress Of the type of Mr. Davis
whose guiding aim is to pay absolutely sympathetic at
tention to the local needs Of Washington there should be
more on that committee and they plentiful in the House.
who do regard Washington National City the ward of
M most powerful nation in the world
NE nation itself paying an unjust and nequitabe
appropriations asked for the needs
- 1 there might be slight for those un-
aO the future Of Washington prune every
70 'ne Dtom thereby Gripping municipal functions
ubmtted to the that the District appropriations
oets oSs 'ns the Treasury Of the United States
u vst here Ivy pite the extensive interests of the
capital one Of the most atve in the World nave S 0""
entities t5en rs the Ds have paid money that
municipal functions that will be ch;d r TO- s 1 many
Se t the appropriations and IN having them remain
The District bill should have been rertad to the onse
long ago. 50 that its final stages through 0Sngress could be
aken before the closing days of this session. Apparently
with deliberate intention the District apprIpriaon Hill s
delayed the House so that the conference upon t. between
House and Senate will take place time when enemies Of the
District in the House sandbag the Senate into accentnS
House action or eOpardze the passage of the bill before the
The Senate will unquesOnably increase the House TENS
BY several millions Of dollars and should do So Then
should take firm position against tactics that have pre-
vailed Tor years the part of House coneree which MIR
Davis always of threatening of the bill if
the Senate doesn't yield on virtually everything
SO far the House Appropriations Committee is
the Budget Bureau might just well have been created
nat bureau gave many hearings to District needs
future and cut the estimates Of the District Commissioners by
several millions of dollars yet the House committee and MI
Davis cut the bureau estimates by millions The Director
the Budget Bureau has estimates to the bone In
stead OF the estimates approved by him being by the
House committee there has been another heavy and unfair
pruning.
So many items in the District bill have suffered seriously
that is not possible in this space go into them From
strictly local standpoint the public are the worst hit
For schools the estimates have to and
yet every Senator and Congressman familiar with the school
situation knows that the of new school buildings here
mas caused congestion among pupils that materially
young Americans There is similar unfs; cu in the
appropriation for textbooks which, if not corrected will
mean that out books continued in use AGAIN
to the derment of scholars
Despite the fact that members of Congress daily use the
streets OF the District and fully understand that large sums
money are required to improve disgraceful conditions
there slash in the estimates of the Director of
the Budget which means that streets will have to go
WITHOUT repairing next year and the opening of streets
must be deferred.
Mr. Davis from State Minnesota where the people
nave drascaly shown their dispeasure Of those men in
Punc NE who are no longer in touch with the wishes and
desires OF voters and taxpayers Mr. Davis two years AFRO
OF general for Minnesota taxpayers is as evident
IN his own State it is here in the District his future mem
bership in the House is doubtful
Mr. Davis belongs to that old guard politicians who be-
heye in saving the just demands Of the people with bunk
P ~: 1naS are never intended to be made good He
not IN sympathy with prevailing sentiment in Minnesota
ne depends upon the politicians to pull him through and be-
heves that his obligations them-to the manipuIatos
people. " 0 P4"An
Every possible effort made to have Mr. Davis and his
colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee insert in
the District bill financial provision for the emnIovment ~
addona! counsel for the Public Utilities Commission that
the vast interests of the people of the District in their
might be fully protected. ~ Gus 0''
mr. Davis has been personally informed that the Washington
puoc utility corporations have large highly paid Stats of
lawyers representing them the and elsewhere He has
een that there is pending the District courts one
single action that vitality affects the distribution of S.
OF electric light money to the of electricity in the Dis
cmOney improperly and illegally collected by the Potomac
Electric Power Company He has been informed that in this
important and in number Of Others pending in the
local courts involving waered valuations Of local utilities
all OF which are of the greatest Importance to every citizen If
this community there just one legal Representative fr tho
entire public and M his salary is s. 900 year.
IN the lace OF the fact that the powerful local corporations
employ all the lawyers they deem necessary to project thew