The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-30
With The
EAlibi Artists.
a. Cross Section of the.
Daily Grind in Judge
Schuldt's Court.
Read EN- and Weep.
BY DONALD McDOUGAL.
The Yearly HOld.up

Responsibility for Wa5hington's
permanent traffic jam seems TO
be hung pretty securely around
Congress- neck, and our friends
and enemies, too-on the Dis
trict Committee appear inclined
to take some action in the mat
ter, by recommending q few in
adequate additions to the Police
Court.
Just what they're going to do
about our hick system of street
lighting-c3u of many and
many a smash-up-isn't quite
clear yet, but whatever they do.
one safe bet is, it won't be
enough.
Our crowded and breeding
schools, our bumpy streets, our
precarious water supply--iust at
the time when Wayne Wheeler
is moving heaven and earth to
introduce cold water as a bev-
efage-all these things come home
to roost in the gas house on the
hill: That is TO say, that what
ever may be the faults of our
rulers, partially is not annng
them. All the needs of the Dis
trict are ignored equally.
Strange how one thing leads to
another like buying a radio set.
First we find that the major
cause of traffic difficulty here is
that only few offenders ever
come to trial-one in ten or 80;
the reason SO many are caught
81 ,sel. a.,
they are allowed to forfeit col.
lateral instead of standing trial;
that the reason they are allowed
TO forfeit collateral is that we
haven't court facilities for trying
them: and we haven't facilities
for trying them because Congress
refuses to appropriate the money
for that purpose.
But is Congress the end of this
house that Jack built summary?
Each link in the chain lis ac.
counted for by the one following
it. What accounts for the atti-
tude of Congress toward the Dis:
trict? We can't lay it to the
PERSONAL bias of individual mem.
bers-its been going on too long
the personnel of that legisia
tive body has changed a good
many times since this business Of
razzing the District first started,
we must look for the cause IN
something more than mere Der.
Verslty, cussedness or ignorance.
The COngressman's Side.
Let's look at the question from
the Congressman side of the foot.
lights. Let's see what they are uD
against. You're a Congressman.
well say-a member of the Appro-
prlations Committee: You want to
stand in well with your party.
and especially with your constitu-
ents back in Gopher Prairie.
otherwise you'll soon be a lame
DUCK, and no one will pay much
attention to your quacking.
They're going to judge YOU by
the total of that appropriation
bill. And, aside from what Goph.
er Pralrie gets out of it, they
won't care very much about the
separate items. You'll stand or
TALL by the total-because figures
don't lie.
Whatever sum is appropriated
for the District. goes to swell that
total, although most of the cost
is taken care of by the District
itself, and our municipal expenses
have no more right in the Fed.
eral appropriation bill than the
municipal expenses of Han .l<ow.
CHINA. But they-Are there. and
to the Gopher Prairieite they have
the same pocketbook status as the
rivers and harbors gratuity, and
all the explaining in creation
can't make him see it otherwise
especially as your political CD
',ponent isn't going to help you
any.
And There's Gopher Prairie.
AS a member of the Appropria-
ton Committee, your job is to
,lop off expenses wherever you
see a chance, whether it's post.
office In q fellow members State.
or a schoolhouSe for the District.
Every item that doesn't affect
Gopher Prairie is meat for your
AK, and a million here and mil
Hon there soon count up to a re.
spectacle sum. You Cant except
the District from your pruning
. any more than you can any other
hostile territory.
It's just as big a feather in
your cap to reduce the total an.
preparation by striking million
off the Districts allowance as ii
would pe If that allowance were
"A nsetbnal expense, The total
Is reduced by one million, and