Evening star., 1920-04-04
TAX RAISE
AND $3.50 REPEAL
Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations Adopts Resolution
DepIoring Proposed Changes

Protest against the proposed in
crease Of the local tax rate and COM
mendation of the half-and- half plan
of administering finances of the Dis
trict were registered in a resolution
Unanimously adopted at a meeting of
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions last night in the board room OF
the District building. An amendment
to the resolution instructed the sec
retary to write to the Senate commit
tee asking for hearing of a commit
tee from the federation before action
upon the House District appropria-
ton bill.
A brief debate upon the wording of
the resolution preceded its adoption.
The preamble set forth that the House
appropriations committee in report.
ing the District appropriation bill
for the current year. incorporated
therein provision for an increase in
the District tax rate amounting to
66 2-3 per cent, as we'll as an increase
in water rents, without giving the
citizens of the District notice or op-
portunity to be heard.
Present Tax suhfcienf.
The preamble also declared that the
present tax rate produces revenue
sufficient for all requirements under
by an unexpended balance Of $4 4,00O.O 600
heretofore collected from the residents
of the District"
The resolution reads as follows:
Resolved, That we. the delegates
to the Federation of Citizens Asso-
the proposed increase of tax rate as
being unduly burdensome and unjust.
And be it further
'Resolved, That we commend the half
and-haK plan of administering. the az
fairs of the District as the most equlta-
BILE thus far devised"
The federation adopted the report
of Jesse c. Suter, chairman OF the
committee on schools, regarding sew
eral resolutions submitted by member
associations.
In receiving and adopting the report
the federation placed itself on record
az reiterating its decision to take no
definite action in the schools investi-
CATION until a conclusion had been
reached by the Senate select commit
tee making the investigation.
It also went on record as favorlng no
civil service examinations for school
teachers and for the administration of
school and municipal affairs by local
persons.
for the admission of the public as a
party to wage controversies and ad-
iustments between public service cor
porations of the District and their
employees was lost on the objection of
Robert H McMackin, when unani-
nous consent was requested to bring
it before the association.
Resents Reported Statement.
Rising on personal privilege, Snow
den Ashford, member of the schools
committee Of the federation, intro
duced into the federation's record a
statement upon the stand taken by
delegates to the federation on the
school controversy.
Mr.. Ashford referred to a report in
a morning newspaper attributing "to
a fellow delegate" the statement that
"the federation is using underhand
methods in dealing with the schools"
Summing up the situation, lis state
ment reads, in part, as follows:
"There seems to be disposition on
the part of few delegates in the
federation to shut off discussion of
school matters and to indulge in per-
sonal and disparaging remarks in
tended to reflect on the motives Of
their fellow delegates, and aimed es-
pecially at the members of the COM
mittee on education.
IT wish to remind these delegates
that this federation, as far back as
October 4, instructed Its committee on
education to Investigate conditions in
the schools and make recommended
tions for their Improvement. with or
without SpeciHc resolutions OF Ieports
on such matters from our constituent
bodies. I would also remind our dis
eruntled delegates that separate
resolutions on this subject from our
several associations deal with the
school conditions in their respective
localities, while the federation's COM
mittee deals with the schools in gen
eraI as a system applied to the whole
District.
Long Knew of Trouble.
"These gentlemen should also be
reminded that the federation recog-
nized the advantages of proper inves-
tigation of and information concern
ing the schools long before the recent
deplorable contro versy arose between
the school board and the superin-
tendent, and while the strained rela-
tions may have been known to indi-
vidual members of your committee.