Evening star., 1928-12-02
Financing the Municipal Center.

An article in today'S Star describes
Uhe general tone of discussions now cur
rent at the District Building over plans
20 acquire land for the proposed munich
pal center and to finance the purchase.
These plans, 1t must be realized. are
only tentative. The Commissioners are
simply casting about in their minds for
the best way to begin a task which,
while 1t may require many years to
complete, soon must be undertaken.
They have under consideration the ad-
visibility Of seeking an advance from
the Federal Treasury, to be used in
buying the land Immediately, and to be
repaid over q number of years at a low
rate of interest. The sinking fund, un-
der this tentative plan, would be accu-
mulated on the basis of q flfty-fifty
ratio between the District and the Fed
eral Government.
A bond issue or Treasury advance to
meet pressing needs of the District is
of course no new idea. In compare
lively recent years the District wiped
oat the last dollar of a bonded indebted
ness incurred when the city, far behind
In its needed improvements, borrowed
money to obtain necessary funds. In
the last few years the idea has been
advanced time and again, particularly
In reference to the moneys needed for
the purchase Of park lands. But the
District has invariably approached the
subject with extreme caution. 1t has
been unwilling to undertake obliga-
tions for Capital building without q
guarantee from Congress that the Fed
eral Government would participate in
refunding the debt on the basis OF a
nxed ratio which remains q part Of
organic law. 1t was with this under
standing that the District secured ad-
vances in the past. 1t must be on this
basis alone that the District will seek
advances in the future.
In the case of the present proposal,
The Commissioners will have good rea-
son to insist on the application Of the
hfty-fifty ratio in refunding Treasury
advance. The proposed municipal CEN
ter viii replace the present municipal
building, which was built by equal con-
trihutions from the District and the
Federal governments. The Districts
equity in the building and land amounts
TO half the value Of the investment and
when Uncle Sam finds 1t necessary to
connscate. in effect. this property for
his 6wn use, he should not only recog-
nize this equity. but apply the same
principle in the acquisition of the new
site and buildings that extended to the
purchase Of the present building. In
addition. the proposed municipal center
will be built in accordance with the
plans Of the Federal agencies to beauti-
fy the National Capital. 1t must take
structures. Utilitarianism alone will not
set the scale upon which 1t is to be
constructed. Those who originated the
proposal envisioned this group of civic
buildings as a model for every city, and
not merely as the new home for the
municipal government of the District.
There can be no doubt of the wis
demsin purchasing the land for the mu-
nicipal center as soon as possible and
there is logic In the contention that 1t
should be acquired as whole instead
Of parcel by parcel. Every year OF deNay
in buying the land in the triangle north
Of the Avenue will mean so much more
in dollars and cents when this time
comes for the money to be paid. Much
water will flow under the bridge before
the municipal center is completed. But
the year 1928 is none too soon to begin.