Evening star., 1934-04-11
The District Bill.

Lie OlSCIlCt Dill.
The District appropriation bill, re-
ported today, does not meet adequately
the problem Of community development
with which it is supposed to deal. With
q few praiseworthy exceptions in the
form Of new construction-the branch
library in Georgetown, a viaduct over
the B. & o. tracks at Eastern avenue
extended, an addition to the Brown
Junior High School and gymnasium
for Powell-this bill continues the un-
satisfactory and dangerous policy OF
ignoring local needs. Unintentionally
no doubt it further obscures them by
setting up what appears to be an at
tractive smoke screen in the form Of
mandatory tax reduction.
Tax reduction, of course, has tre-
mendous appeal here as everywhere
else. Local tax reduction, especially
in view of the mounting burden of
Federal taxation to meet extraordi-
nary new deal expenditures, is more
than ever alluring. Local tax reduc-
ton, especially upon real estate, has
been urged by The Star as preferable
to the wasteful, hurtful accumulation
Of unspent local revenues.
But serious consideration OF the
many needs now facing the District
raises natural doubt as to the wisdom
of the sort Of tax reduction proposed
by the House Committee. For. while
the House Committee is pointing with
pride to Savings to the taxpayers"
resulting from a policy of skimping
maintenance and the neglect of nee
essary improvements, the District
Commissioners are seeking possible
ways and means to borrow money to
finance the very improvements the
House Committee ignores.
Congress cannot meet urgent needs
of the Capital in school buildings, in
health and hospital facilities. in the
proper disposal Of sewage, in the ade-
quate or even decent housing of its
activities by assuming the ostrich
pose and denying their existence.
There is no permanent or worthwhile
savings in delaying until some future
day-for which there is no construc-
tive attempt to plan-those things
which should be undertaken now, and
which could be undertaken under
reasonable and equitable division Of
expense.
If it is to be the policy of Congress
to reduce the burden of current local
taxation, but to permit advances to
the District for development, to be
repaid over period of years on terms
that are not burdensome and which
recognize the peculiar relationship
existing between the National Gov
ernment and the voteless local COM
munity, there is much to be said for
that policy. But is that to be the
policy? If 1t Is, could it not be so
understood now?
It is no less difficult to understand
the apparently capricious, and totally
unexplained, reduction in funds for
the Public Utilities Commission, re-
ducing that agency to skeleton, un-
able to function. Local agencies
which were able to subsist during the
current fiscal year by reason of the
privilege of interchange of certain
funds suffer the loss of that privilege
in the bill just reported, although
funds for maintenance remain prac-
tically unchanged. Throughout the
bill appear the too familiar reduc-
tions and eliminations Of personnel,
which can only be reflected in inefi-
cient or at least inadequate munic-
ipal services.
The committee is at the same time
to be commended for its reduction in
water rates, a step advocated for
many years by The Star, and it is
gratifying to note that the reduc-
ton has no strings tied to it-such as
discounts on promptly paid bills. The
committee has acted wisely and fairly
In reducing sewer main assessments
and in authorizing use of funds in
snow removal which, next Winter,
should simplify task handled none
too well heretofore.