Evening star., 1927-10-23

| large sections of land will be highly
| desirable. For the last two years the
| annual appropriation for the Park
and Planning Commissions work has
been 100000 and for the current fis-
cal year the appropriation is $500 900,
OF which 100000 was carried over
from the preceding appropriation.
The commission believes that with
yearly appropriations of the future,
approXimating in size those of the
past, it might complete, say within
25 years, the program now forming.
But with $10,000,000 available within
five years this program could be
completed almost as rapidly as the
money could be spent. Therefore,
says the commission, instead of slowly
completing our work as the money be.
comes available in driblets of 5000, 900
a year, let us have all the money now,
finish the work, and then repay the
loan at the rate of 100000 a year or
whatever amount Congress may de-
eide. In addition to expediting the
complete, n of the program, there
would be simple economy in taking
advantage of present-day prices in
stead of prices to be met 10 or Is
years hence. And this argument, pro-
vided the Park and Planning Commits
sion could wisely spend its money, is
perfectly sound and it's logic is hard
to refute.
Project Considered Federal.
But there is large fly in the oint-
ment, detected most easily by looking
back to the months antedat ting the for
nation of the National Capital Park
Commission, established by an act of
Congress dated June 6, 1924, the pur-
pose of which was to acquire such
lands as in its judgment (the judg-
ment of the park commission) shall be
necessary and desirable in the Dis.
trict of Columbia and adjacent areas
in Maryland and Virginia for
the development of the National Capt.
tai park, parkway and playground
SYSTEM"
Those who were behind this Iegis-
lation, and they included the Amer
ican Civic Association and men and
women throughout the Nation who
realized the Importance of the sub
Ject, looked upon the measure as q
distinctly Federal project. They did
not consider it to be local in any sense
of the word. They did not confine the
iand to be bought for parks to that
lying within what was once the 10
square miles of the District, but look.
ed into the future, when the terri
tory lying without the geographical
limits of the District would be, to all
lntents and purposes, a part of the
Federal City. With this in mind there
was written into the bill, and it still
remains, the following language: ''That
there is authorized to be appropri.
ated each year hereafter s* a sum
not exceeding cent for each inhabit.
ant of the continental United States
as determined by the last preceding
decennial census, said sum to be used
py said commission for the payment
OF its expenses and for the acquisition
of the land. -"
The thought was an appealing one.
and the idea that every man, woman
and child would in effect be taxed one
penny every year to beautify the
American Capital was not only pic.
turesque but altogether practical. It
did not seem probable that even those
astute members of Congress, who
prlde themselves upon being referred
20 Dy the feature writer's as the watch.
dogs of the Treasury would see anv.
thing in this proposal to cause then,
to strain at their leashes or to howl
at the moon.
But in Congress the bill was emas.
culated and the provision was inserted
tnat expenses for the National Park
ana Planning Commission would be
mace available in the annual District
appropriation bill, and, furthermore
that the funds so appropriated shall
be paid from the revenues of the Dis.
trict of Columbia and the general fund
or the Treasury in the same propor.
ton as other expenses Of the District
o. Columbia" In other words, il Con.
gress appropriated for the District on
the half-and-half principle, the 500, 900
residents of the District would pay
half the money appropriated, the lis,
OOO,O00 other residents of the United
States paying the other half. If ap-
propriated for under the "sixty-forty"
principle, the 100000 residents of the
District would pay so per cent. AS It
Is, the District is paying about rs per
cent, while the 11S,000,000 other resi-
dents of the United States are con.
tributing "a per cent toward the com.
pletion OF this great national prof.
ect. Instead of an annual appropria,.
ton of over 81 1,000, 900, the annual an.
preparation is 100000.
Contributions Greatly Cut.
This :dealistic program of develop.
ing Washington as great National
Capital. therefore, already shows signs
which certain members of the House
may chew in acstasy as they bark
their determination to save a fraction
of penny for each of their beloved
constituents, to whom they mail, at a
greater cost to the Government, cop.
les of the Congressional Record fairly
teeming with their brilliantly intel
Ia ,,1r znk4 80 kn1
whose wooded parks will express the
bers OF the House prefer that it be
Capital whose wooded parks express
their own clever ability to shift the
burden Of cost to the unrepresented
citizens of the District. And as for
the citizen of Ocotollo, Ariz., who reads
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission bill, taking pride in
the fact that his penny is going into
the development Of the Capital his
Capital-let that stand, He does not
know that his penny is not a. penny.
but so small fraction of cent that
neither he nor any one else will ever
recognize IL.
1t is not surprising. therefore. that
Washingtonians who are giving
thought to the matter have already
icucHeu dL LHc oIV.VVo'voV iiCdouly
advance plan. If the advance were
made and paid back according to the
principle so finely advocated in the be-
ginning, the people of the District
sharing their part of the cost proudly
and equally with other citizens Of the
United States, they would only praise
and commend the plan. AS 1t is, Wash
ingtonians are constantly finding new
ground for fear and distrust of Con-
gress. They have been led by the
nose with fine promises before, to find
themselves afterward in deep water
and gasping for breath. They want
Congress to put 1t down on paper and
sign on the dotted line before they
are willing to do any more bargaining.
City Well Represented.
While the meeting of the American