The Washington herald., 1914-03-05
DISTRICT HEADS
CRITICISE BILLS
Write to Senate Committee
on Measures Altering the
Financial. System.
CAREFUL INQUIRY URGED
Commissioners Say if Change Is Made
1t Should Be After Compre-
hensive Examination.
CAREFUL INQUIRY URGED

The District Commissioners yesterday
reported mfavorabIy on the Johnson bill
and criticised other measures, passed and
pending. providing for a change in the
financial and fiscal system now obtain
ing in the District. in lengthy letter to
Chairman John Walter Smith, Of the
Senate District Committee.
II certain members of Congress are
dissatisfied with the present financial ar
rangements in the District, the Commis-
sioners assert In their letter, and IL in
the opinion OF these members a change
must be effected, then. SO the Commits
sioners plead, that change should be
accomplished after a comprehensive and
direct examination Of the question itself.
rather than by indirect approach through
the medium OF separate and unrelated
bills"
Would withdraw Large Fund.
The Commissioners question the pro-
pricty Of the passage OF the BILL" and
assert that the effect OF it, II 1t should
become law. would at least be to with
draw from District revenues that are
matched dollar for dollar by the Federal
government, several hundred thousand
dollars"
The Commissioners letter. in part. fol-
lows:
Pursuant to the reference by the
Senate Committee on the District Of
Columbia of H. r. e4l1. Sixty-third Con-
gress, second session, entitled. An act
relating to expenditure Of money received
on account OF liquor licenses, Washington
Market Company. and from other
sources for consideration and reply
touching the merits OF the bill and the
rropriety OF its passage, the Commits
sioners OF the District Of Columbia have
the honor to submit the following re-
port:
The bill provides that no monyes col
lected or received by the District of Co.
lumbia on account OF any license or con-
cession to manufacture or sell intoxicat-
ing liquors, or on account OF rental paid
by the Washington Market Company, or
from tolls over the Highway Bridge, or
from the fish or any other wharf, or from
rental or income from any real estate In
which the equitable, or interest or estate
in possession or In reversion or remain
der, shall be expended in payment of
any expense or in discharge of any debt
or liability of the District OF Columbia
in the payment or discharge of which
Congress has In any manner whatsoever
committed the United States to partici-
pate. And no such monyes shall be
treated as revenues available or to be
| available with which to pay any expense.
cebt. or liability of the District of CO.
IumbIa. to the payment Of which or any
part thereof Congress has in any man
ner whatsoever committed the United
States.
THE effect OF the bill would at least
be to withdraw from District revenues
| that are matched dollar for dollar by the
Federal government under the existing
law. several hundred thousand dollars
collected from sources hitherto treated
by the Congress as legitimate sources of
municipal revenue to which to apply the
'half-and-half principle
One of q Series.
This bill is one of a series of proposed
legislative enactments, several OF which
have already passed the House of Repre-
sentatives, others OF which are now un-
der consideration by It or by its appro-
pirate committees, and all of which. in
one form or another. involve either a
radical departure from the existing finan-
cial relations between the Federal and
/ municipal governments or propose new
| sources OF taxation and a very great in
crease in the revenue derived from local
| taxation.
| Most Of these measures deal with the
financial relation mentioned above in an
indirect rather than In a direct manner.
and are to be found either In amend
ments to the pending District appropria-
tion bill or in separate bills, like the one
under consideration.
The tendency and consideration OF
measures such as these evince q strong
dissatisfaction upon the part OF many
members Of the Congress with the pres
ent financial arrangements whereby the
Federal government contributes to the
support Of the local government"