Evening star., 1933-02-21

community at any time" The vitaIly
important thing is not only to keep
within reasonable limits and make a
proper spread over the whole period,
but to make sure that whatever is de-
pended upon, and the amount thereof,
Is going to be actually obtained.
2. In the second place, In addition
to the demonstrated undependability of
such a provision of law as is proposed,
its lack of wisdom and soundness is
otherwise demonstrable. 1t would con-
stitute a most unfortunate precedent
showing for the first time a departure
from the following well known provi-
sion contained in the act of Congress
of June II, 1873 (known as the or
ganic act prescribing the present form
of government for the District of Co
lumbia):
Indebtedness Not to be Increased.
There shall be no increase of the
amount Of the total Indebtedness of
the District of Columbia existing on
June IL, 1878; and any officer or
person who shall knowingly in
crease. or aid or abet in increasing
such total indebtedness, shall be
guilty of a high misdemeanor, and
on conviction thereof, shall be pun
ished by imprisonment not exceed
ing 10 years, or by fine not exceed
ing ten thousand dollars" GO Stat.
L. 108, C. 180, Sec. 49,
The reason for this important pro-
vision in said organic act is well known
to every one who has taken the pains
to familiarize himself in anywise with
the history of the District of Columbia.
In the first report of the first perma
nent Board of Commissioners for the
District Of Columbia, dated November
26, 1878, the conditions which had
caused the insertion of said provision
in the organic act are briefly alluded
to as follows:
1.-THE burden Of the public debt
weighs heavily. Payment of interest
alone absorbs about one-third of re-
ceipts from all sources, including
the so per centum contributed by the
. United States. To this sum must
be added large amount for sink
ing fund, to pay the principal. Thus
more than one-third of the revenue
of the District, year after year, goes
to the public debt as now funded"
(Vol. l, p. $50, Washington, Past
and Presently
The citizens of this District had no
voice in the adoption OF the aforesaid
provision in the organic act, but it
has always been recognized as one of
the wisest and most beneficent provi-
sions ever enacted by the Congress re-
lating to the District Of Columbia, by
preventing the needless waste which IS
directly involved when bond issues or
other forms Of borrowings are INDUCED
in upon which interest must in the very
nature Of things be paid by the taxpay-
ers in addition to repayment of the
principal sums borrowed. After being
fully informed, and giving this subject
its calm and wise deliberation, it is not
believed that either branch of the Con-
gress will be willing to countenance the
attempt of the present District of Co.
lumbia Commissioners to obtain au-
thority to violate the aforesaid provi-
sion If the organic act, especially when,
as already shown, the practical side of
the matter would be futile and abort
i've, and also when the District taxpay-
ers are always compelled to provide a
large surplus for deposit in the United
States Treasury upon which no inter-
est Is allowed, thus making it a travesty
upon justice to permit a borrowing
upon which interest will have to be
paid, and particularly when so many
other municipalities are doubtless in
actual need of obtaining a loan, which
would be uselessly interfered with by
the District seeking, and possibly OBJ
tanning, funds which would prevent ac-
tually needed loans to other municipal
tiles from being obtained.
8. In the third place, we see no JUS
tifcation for, or wisdom in, the sug-
gestion that Congress may leave the