The Washington times., 1925-01-07
With The
IAlibi Artists
"A Cross Section of the
Daily Grind in Judge
McMahOn's Court.
Read EN- and Weep.
By DONALD McDOUGAL.
Money Talks.


Money Talks.
The joint District Committee
calls in couple Of experts from
New York to show the District
how to run its traffic business
we Westinghouse all being
dummies.
The experts recommend several
of the things the Alibi Column
has been yelling for during the
last two months, viz:
Abolition Of the collateral
FORGETTING system.
Adequate court facilities.
Revision Of the nonsensical
traffic regulations now in force;
Better street lights.
More police.
Sufficient appropriations.
The committee had been figur-
ing on appropriating about $780,
100000 for all the Districts ex-
penses-polic fire, schools, traf-
fic, engineering, courts-every-
thing, including removal Of snow.
Thirty millions or so was the
Gopher Prairie estimate Of Wash
ington's needs during the coming
year.
''Oh, Only SIS, 600, OOO."
How much asked Senator
Copeland, of New York, how
much viii these traffic improve.
ments, necessary to prevent loss
of life in Washington-how much
will these items cost2''
oh" said the expert, casually,
somewhere around $4,000. 000."
And the committee had been
figuring on something like $30,-
100000 as the grand total of
every conceivable expense for
the District, including traffic.
Which shows what a broad,
statesmanlike grasp OF its duties
the District Committee has.
And how far they have let
Washington fall into disrepair;
And that you can't save money
by mere bull-headed refusal to
spend it;
That real economy is inteIli-
gent spending, and Congressional
economy is cheap-skate haggling:,
In "a HeIluva Fix
That Washington is in hell
iva fix when New York runs
her traffic and Gopher Prairie
runs her finance. We couldn't
be much worse off If there was
a League of Nations, with Great
Britain and France bossing the
whole works.
Looks like the only practicable
move now is. to take the Districts
appropriations out of the nation
al budget. where they don't be-
long. and put .enl. in the local
banks where they do belong
whether we eventually get home
rule or not.
Last week the Abb Column sug-
gested that $4,000. 900 or so of the
Districts funds deposited in Wash
ington's banks might help the
housing situation here. We see
by the papers that. President Cool
endorses this yiew-to the extent
of asserting that the banks can
help clean up the mess II they go
about IT right, anyhow. and we
can't help thinking that $40, 000, 900
would make it worth their while
to do it.
Big DepOsitOrs Liked.
With all that money of ours in
"
touch with those institutions. and
they'd have to listen to US as well
as the real estate men. Banks like
to accommodated their big depos-
itors.
And this housing situation, come
to think of it, is going from worse
to impossible pretty fast. We met
a lady yesterday evening whose
rent has been raised six times
since 1917-from $50 per month
to $3.50. for one room. kitchenette
and bath, and no relief in sight.
Some real estate men are hand
in-glove with the banks, which is
the reason they're hand-in-pocket
with their tenants. If the District
had a $4,000, 900 say-so with the
banks, that combination would
break up in a hurry. Or have we
got the wrong dope?