Evening star., 1933-07-20
Rate BY Msil-PayabIe In Advance.
The Bridge and Other Projects.

While it Is important to decide in ad-
vance what sort of bridge will be built
to replace the Calvert Street Bridge. it
is even more important to know whether
any bridge Is to be built at all. The
decision regarding the building OF this
bridge within the current fiscal year, OF
starting it, at least, during the period
when employment is needed rests solely
with the Director of the Budget. He
has not committed himself finally on
the use of any Of the Districts surplus
gasoline tax money, out of which the
bridge project is to be undertaken.
The type of bridge will depend on
approval by the Commission Of Fine
Arts. Congress having wisely inserted
a provision In the current appropria-
tion bill requiring such approval. After
the engineering problems have been
solved, the matter Of APPEARANCE and
conformity with other structures In the
National Capital must be studied. And
here the guiding principle should be
that economy is not always synony-
nous with cheapness, and that while
the depression is temporary, the bridge
is expected to last for, some time. 1t
would be an unwise thing to reveal to
the archeologists Of the future our
passing economic ups and downs by the
way we build our schools and bridges
and streets, so that excavations will
uncover relics identified as dating from
the boom period of 1929, the depression
period Of 1888, or the recovery period
Of 1934-35.
After the type of bridge to be built is
finally decided, however, the next step
must be to gain Budget Bureau approval
to spend money already being collected
from the taxpayers, and which, If not
spent, will accumulate noh-interest-
bearing cobwebs in the Federal Treas
ury. Congress set aside $1,50O,0c1
Ct surplus gasoline tax funds to be
spent ito aid in the relief Of unem-
ployment, to be allotted for such prof.
ects and purposes and in such amounts
as the director of the Bureau of the
Budget may approve" 1t specified only
two Of the projects thus to be built,
should the budget director give the
necessary approval One is the Calvert
Street Bridge and the other is widening
of Constitution avenue near the Capitol.
The Budget Bureau has withheld
approval 80 far. Director Douglas is
naturally marking time to see the ex-
tent Of the Federal grants that will be
allotted to the District Of Columbia
from the billions made available for
public works. The ALLEGATIONS so far
made relate to distinctly national
projects located within the District of
Columbia Aside from these, and those
that may be approved in the future,
local taxpayers are interested in the
disposal of their own local tax funds
that could properly be utilized in neces-
sary Improvements, such as the Calvert
Street Bridge, and at the same time
help to alleviate local unemployment.
In making their request for the Sec
ond allotment Of Federal aid toward
unemployment relief for the second
quarter of this year, ending In June, the
Commissioners will show that the
number Of families dependent upon pub
lie relief In the District has reached
the highest total so far recorded
1l,4ls. The $l73,000 which will be
available for relief under the Lewis
Wagner legislation will not go far. 1t
will not scratch the surface of local
need
The quicker local tax money Is made
available by Budget Bureau approval
for necessary, employment-giving local
projects, the quicker the burden of un-
employment relief will be nghtened. If
the expenditure Of this money Is ap-
proved now, plans will be ready for
starting work early in the Fall. Pro-
longed delay will frustrate the whole
purpose Of making the money available
Immediately" as the act states, and
putting men to work.