Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-20
Congress and the District.


The House in committee of the whole
begins consideration today of the 1881
District appropriation bill The meas
Ure that comes before 1t from commit
tee represents q careful and searching
consideration of its items by the sub.
committee that conducted the hearings.
Economies have been stretched Pro.
posed expenditures have experienced
the embarrassment common to cameIs
IN passing through the eyes of needles
and with few exceptions they represent
actual needs that cannot be denied.
The interest Of the taxpayers, how
ever-who must furnish the money for
almost 80 per cent of the general reve-
nues appropriated, and a much higher
percentage of the total funds that 90
into the District bill, including water
taxes and gasoline taxes-is more con-
eerned with what the bill indicates a.
to their ability longer to progress while
bearing an undue proportion Of Capital
expenses at current high tax rates than
with what the bill actually allows them.
For this years bin. where economy
has been the keynote, carries about
$4,000, 900 more than will be available
for expenditure, under current tax
rates, in the 1892 bill next year. If it
had not been for the surplus of unex-
pended District revenues, the bill now
under consideration in the House would
have required q tax rate Of $50 TO
support it. As it Is, the proposed ex-
penditures in this bill reduce the free
surplus of the District to about $780,
600. II the police and flremen pay bill
Is passed this surplus will be reduced TO
about 100000.
Next years bill, with about $4,000, 600
less available than this year, can be
roughly computed now on list OF items
that does not include such pressing
projects as the airport, the proposed
new Center Market, the children's tuner-
eulosis sanatorium, new bathing pools
authorized In 1929, further elimination
Of grade crossings, new branch libraries
and library sites, Key Bridge approach
improvements. the Districts share OF
widening 3 street, improvement Of the
water front, new buildings for the jail
and the beginning Of replacement work
on such old bridges as the Calvert street
bridge, Chain Bridge, Benning Bridge,
p Street Bridge, and Pennsylvania Ave-
nue. Bridge over Anacostis River.
The District has come TO the turn In
the road. Needed improvements must
be allowed to 50 by the board, the bur-
den Of local taxation must be increased
and the pending bill already increases
it through a new water rate schedule
or Congress, surveying the facts and
acting upon them as reason and equity
demand, must increase the Federal Gov
eEnment's annual allotment
since departing from the provisions Of
the law that has never been repealed
and ignoring the system Of appropri-
ating In fixed ratio, Congress has seen
the Districts real estate tax yield in
crease by more than 100 per cent BY
reason Of higher assessment, higher tax
rate and growth Of the city. It has seen
the Districts annual contribution to
appropriations that have more than
doubled increased by more than $50 per
cent. And while in 1924 Congress con-
sidered 1t fair and equitable to con-
tribute 20 per cent to District expenses,
the current bin calls for an appropria-
ton Of about 21.5l per cent. Everything
IA connection with District approprta-
tons has been increasing except the Fed
eral Governments contribution, which
in percentage and in actual amount has
been steadily decreasing in the one
ease and remaining virtually stationary
IN the other.
Much has been made of the relatively
fe;5 instances, Is brought to light in the
hearings, Of So-called extravaganza"
and "squandering" of public funds in
municipal purchasing, especially on the
part Of the schools. There have been
cases where zeal TO obtain the best, in
stead Of medium or second-best mate
Tial, led to purchase of equipment that
might have been bought for less. That
such cases should be carefully scru-
tinted is agreed; that a man who
spends one cent of public funds fool
ishly should be called to book is adj
mitted. But instances of possibly poor
judgment in making purchases must not
be used as red herring drawn across the
real trail. The District is not in want
now because somebody bought a $1,000
piano when 5000 piano could have
played the tune, or purchased plated
silverware at $22.So when aluminium
might have done.
The District is in want now because
OF q continued policy Of placing IN
undue and unfair burden Of maintains
ing this Capital, with all of its many
semi-national projects, on the shoulders
Of q heavily burdened group of unrep.
resented Taxpayers; OF persisting in that
policy In the face Of all that represents
reason, fairness and an Americans con.
ception Of the Federal City.
Congress must correct this. Approach
ing the matter fairly, it will