Evening star., 1942-08-08
A Bod Burquin

~ D0O WI YUM
Now that the Commissioners are
about to receive their second million
dollar loan" from the Treasury De-
partment for emergency expendi-
lures on civilian defense, it is high
time they devoted serious study to
the question of correcting the wholly
inequitable terms under which the
money is being advanced.
They were not inclined to argue
about these terms when the legisla-
ton was being planned. They needed
the money to meet immediate OBJ
legations incurred In setting up the
emergency civilian defense machin-
cry. They may have decided that
the details could be examined later,
when the money was in hand.
But the Commissioners have got
the worst of the bargain. Congress
has appropriated 100000 to the
Treasury Department which is to be
advanced to the District and repaid
in annual installments Of ten per
cent, beginning with the fiscal year
1945-at interest.
The District is spending sub
stantial portion of this money on
services which in many respects are
as essential to the National Govern
ment as to the local community and
in payment for which the National
Government should participate gen.
erously. Take the case Of guarding
the water supply system. The water
supply system is under exclusive
jurisdiction OF the War Department.
1t supplies the water, not merely to
the local community, but to the peo-
pie of a large area in Arlington
County and to the whole Govern
ment establishment, which pays
nothing for the water it uses. Yet
the cost of guarding the water supply
system, estimated now to be about
100000 annually. is being met en-
tirely by the local community. And
the Commissioners are borrowing the
money from the Treasury to pay the
bill. and are planning to pay interest
on it.
Why in the world should there be
any interest charges on fund which,
in the first place, should be split be-
tween the National Government and
the District? The District of Colum-
bia deposits its receipts in the Treas
ury every year, maintaining a cash
balance that runs into many mil
lions. The Treasury is the municipal
governments only repository. The
District receives no interest on its de-
posits. Yet it Is proposed to charge
interest on the money advanced to
the District for emergency defense Of
the Capital, this money later to be
collected from local tax receipts and
deposited, without bearing interest,
In the Treasury.
Other items Of proposed expendi-
ture OF money borrowed under terms
of the "blackout bill" are as seriously
open to question, on equitable
grounds. Emergency reservoirs, or
large cisterns, for instance, are to be
built to augment the water distribu-
ton system in case of fire and dam
age which puts the system tempo
rarily out of commission. This is a
protection for the National Govern
ment as we'll as the local community.
Yet funds for this emergency con-
struction are to be treated as an
interest bearing loan to the District
and repaid wholly from District reve-
nues later on.
The Commissioners certainly should
seek to remove the interest charge
1t is indefensible on any grounds
And in the next appropriation bill
they should seek some division OF
costs Of the civilian defense machin-
cry that will reflect the benefits to
the National Government as we'll as
the local community.