Evening star., 1922-05-03
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
MARYLAND and Vireinia,
Pay-as-You-Go Equities.

Pay-as- -You-Go Equities.
The District bill conferees wish to
put the District taxpayers on the
lcash-payment, pay-as-you-go basis as
District maintenance. Assuming that
this wish and the end sought are justi-
fable, what is the simplest. wisest and
fairest method of attaining this end?
In seeking the correct answer to
this question 1t is to be remembered
!, that Uncle Sam is himself a 40 per
cent joint contributor to the capital
maintenance fund, and that in fair
ness if either joint contributor is on
the pay-as-you-so basis then both con-
tributors should be on that basis.
What is the present unsatisfactory
condition in the making Of these joint
payments? What is the cause of this
condition? What is the remedy?
Uncle Sam, with absolute and ex-
: elusive legislative control of the Dis
trict's assets and affairs, has fixed a
month near the end of the year for
his joint contributor to pay his go per
cent contribution. If the District has
no surplus available from the preced-
ing year Uncle Sam expends the whole
Of his 40 per cent contribution, and
makes advances toward the District
taxpayers so per cent contribution be-
fore he actually collects and applies
to District uses dollar of that 80
per cent contribution.
fs The District has nothing to say con-
cerning the time when it's tax pay
ments are made. any more than it has
a say concerning the amount OF these
taxes or how the tax money shall be
spent.
If Uncle Sam is now dissatisfied
Fl with the time that he has fixed for the
payK,ent of District taxes, why does
he not admit that he has made mis-
take and in the exercise of his ex-
+ elusive power change the time of pay
ment? ,
Surely Uncle Sam in his dissatis.
faction at condition for which he is
: solely responsible will not be guilty
of the unspeakable meanness of throw
ing the blame upon and berating and
severely furnishing his unofending
and impotent joint contributor.
What will be an equitable arrange
ment for the payment by these joint
contributors of their respective ,con-
. tributions?
. kkaf he VroV III.
lures are spread evenly over the year.
Uncle Sam if he were going to charge
interest on advances would not make
those advances compulsory, and would
not as one joint contributor charge
his co-contributor with advances un.
til he had exhausted in payments on
the capitals account the whole of his
own contribution.
Why would it not be equitable if
Uncle Sam used rs of his 40 per cent
Contribution in paying the District
expenses of the first quarter, collected
So per cent from District taxpayers
on April / and contributed his remain
ing Is per cent to meet the expenses
Of the second and third quarters, and
collected the Districts remainder Of
contribution (25 per cent? on October
1 to meet the capital expenses of the
last quarter?
Or if this payment Of the Districts.
contribution, 35 per cent on April
and 25 per cent on October 1, does not
meet Uncle Sans present-day ideas
Of equity, then let him fix the Dis
trict's tax-payment days on some other
dates even earlier in the year.
The conclusion is that the putting
of the District and Uncle Sam as joint
contributors on the payas-you.go
basis can be easily, quickly and pain
lessly accomplished merely by the
exercise by Uncle Sam of his power
!. Of changing the date or dates Of Dis
trict tax payment. and that it will be
unnecessary-in fact, criminally SUI
perfiuous-for Uncle Sam on the pre-
tense of putting the District on the
pay-as-you-go basis to extort from the
District taxpayers Of the next five
years three millions, two millions, one
million or even one dollar per year to
lie idle and Misunderstanding in the
Treasury the year before it is to be
utilized for the capitals benefit.