Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
An IMPENDING catastronhs.

Should the House Of Representatives
refuse to Yield on the District appro-
priatton bill TO the proposal Of the
senate for compromise amount Of the
lurnp-sui1i contribution, and should the
Senate refuse to adopt the continuing
resolution" extending the appropriations
Of the present and soon ended fiscai
year pending new appropriative enact
ment, the District would be left without
any funds whatever on Tuesday morn
ing, July /. This contingency was suk-
gested as possible In the course of a
discussion Of the question in the Senate
on Friday. II the Senate should refuse
to consent to an adjournment in order to
bring the House to the point of passing
the appropriation bill in terms OF 4
compromise and meanwhile refuse to
accept continuing resolution--which
would be on the $4,000, 900 basis Of
FEDERAL funds-this very situation would
arise
The prospect Of q District govern
n1elt without funds is staggering one.
There is no parallel for it. The District
government has been short Of funds
now and again toward the end Of a
fiscal year as appropriations have be-
come exhausted with no replenish-
mefts, but never has 4 fiscal year be-
gun without cash in the Treasury for
the payment of salaries, the purchase
Of supplies and the financing of public
works.
II this situation should arise-and it
Is not beyond conception washington
would be in q far worse state than Chi
cago few months ago when the mu-
nicipal revenues fell to the vanishing
point and obligations piled up and pay
rolls were in deficit. for weeks. In
Chicago's case aid was rendered by the
citizens. who bought tax-due certificates
in suficient volume to tide over the
emergency. But here, IN the event sug-
gested, there Is no absolute guarantee
Of appropriation for nearly six months.
How could the District possibly raise
Sufncient funds by public subscription
on terms satisfactory to both borrower
and lender with assurance of prompt
repayment to the latter? The District
bill as it now stands in the deadlock
between the Houses carries q total of
$4,000. 900. II Congress should ad-
journ without action and no extra SEES
sion Of the full Congress should be called
meanwhile, appropriations could not be
made by act Of Congress before the
middle Of December, period Of i've
and half months at the least. It
would be necessary to find somewhere
by public subscription, or by unauthor-
lied Treasury loan, no less than $780,
100000 to cover this period. The Dis
trict people themselves could not pos
sibly supply one-f1fth Of this amount
out of private funds.
Such is the situation. The fact Is
that = the District bill is not passed IN
some form before Tuesday morning, or
D continuing resolution adopted, prac-
ticalIy every service IN the Capital lnu-
nicipality must cease. Every police
man, every fireman must leave his post;
every contract laborer on public work
must lay down his tools; the streets
could not be cleaned; the garbage could
not be collected. and it Is even possible
that the water supply could not be
maintained.
This may be- unthinkable. But It is
b possibility nevertheless. And it is tc
be hoped that this possibility wiz be
studied by members Of House and Sen
ate. On this day, the next to the last Of
the 1lscal year. 1T the end Of which day
only twenty-four hours win remain in
which Congress can act to avert such
o catastrophe from the Capital.