Evening star., 1935-03-17
Increase the Lump Sum!

Prominent educators, not connected
with the Washington public schools,
appeared before the Senate Subcom-
mittee on District Appropriations last
week in behalf of continuation Of
the experiment launched last Fall
in character education. The House,
in passing the District bill, Topped of
the funds to continue the work.
Money already spent will have been
wasted if character education study
is stopped now, for the results can
not be conclusive unless the study is
continued.
AS the Senate inaugurated the
character education demonstration in
the local schools, the Senate will pre-
sumably fight to retain the funds.
Senator Copeland of New York. spon-
soring the work here, has been con-
vinced through his investigation of
crime conditions in the country that
there is a direct approach to the
elimination of crime through the pub
lie schools. He proposed the study
here, at considerable expense to local
taxpayers, to determine the practic-
ability of applying the theory on a
larger scale, here and elsewhere.
The money should be appropriated
The cause in which it is spent is a
goc6 one. II is wasteful extravaganza
to begin such undertakings and then
to throw them in the discard on the
strength of capricious Judgment.
But character education is merely
one Of the items stricken from the Dis
trict bill by the House. Others,
equally important, should be restored
Citizens and municipal officials who
so far have appeared before the SEN
ate committee have argued strongly
for the unmet needs Of the police
force; for the nursing services anc
equipment needed by the hospitals;
for the requirements OF prisoners al
Lorton; for the bare maintenance ol
the city's Libraries, which have suf.
fered to the breaking point under the
ruthless economy cuts of the past few
years; for the highways, where "sav.
ings" accomplished through refusing
to Appropriate funds already collected
from the taxpayers and which are
available for employment-giving public
works, merely result in sending ear
marked dollars to the Treasury, un.
available for other expenditures.
This week arguments will be made
in behalf Of other school needs, rep.
resented in construction and other
items totaling quarter OF a millior
dollars eliminated by the House al
though approved by the Bureau of the
Budget, and for additional items in
other departments.
The shortage Of prospective reve-
nues with which to finance District
needs results from the continued
whiting away of the Federal lump
sum, and not from any failure by local
taxpayers to bear their share Of the
burden Of Capital maintenance anc
development. Capital taxpayers are
now confronted with the prospect o1
largely increased local taxes to sup
port undertakings in social security
praiseworthy in motive if untried by
experience, which have been pledged
as a part of the New Deal. Revenues
from such increased taxation would
accomplish nothing beyond meeting
additional costs imposed by unemploy-
ment and old-age insurance. A deficit ir
providing for the normal needs Of the
normal municipal functions must be
met and the equitable method Of meet
ing it is to increase the national par
ticipation in National Capital expenses
in keeping with the spirit Of unre'
pealed substantive law.
The District looks to the Senate tc
assert its right jointly to legislate fol
the District and to present a bill which
provides for urgent District needs in
stead of ignoring them.
Charges of plotting in any police