Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-30
|NEW FISCAL PLAN
| IS UNFAIR TO D. c.,
VIEW OF MOORE
Virginia Representative SAYS
Subject Takes Ex-Parte
Aspect Due to Secrecy.
SURTAX LEVY SCORED
AS UNUSUAL BURDEN
Emphasizes Present Need for New
System for Dealing With
District Measures.

Exceeding their authority. the con-
ferees on the District appropriation
bill for the fiscal year 1928 framed
cal character affecting the fiscal sys-
tenn of the District" which Congress
is asked to adopt without any in
vestigation and hearings as should
precede such action" says Repre-
sentative r. Walton Moore of Vir-
ginia in voicing his vigorous oppo-
sition to the conference agreement
Representative Moore's district is
next-door-neighbor to the National
Capital. and he has been as familiar
with the city of Washington as his
home town all his life. He is looked
upon as the nearest approach that
District residents have to some one
representing their interests in Con-
gress. During his time in the House
Representative Moore has won recog-
milton from both his republican and
democratic colleagues as a thought
full. common-se and progressive
legislator.
When the District bill was up in
the House and he was discussing it
Representative Moore made the state
ment that he does not own any prop
erty or pay any taxes in the District.
SO that his opinions cannot be ques-
toned as selfish in any respect.
Curtax Levy Criticized.
Asked for his opinion on the pro-
posal to levy surtax on the people
OF the District until they can accumu-
late in five years time a sufficient sur
plus to meet the Districts share OF
the appropriations a year in advance.
Representative Moore stressed these
facts: That though this hue and cry
is being raised at this late date that
the federal government cannot afford
to carry the District for the major
portion of year without interest
charge. nothing is said about paying
the District any interest on its ad-
mitted surplus of s4.S4s,000. which has
lain in the federal Treasury for
years, or to pay any interest to the.
District on the s15,0O0.000 which 1t is
now proposed the District must have
lying idle for the biggest part of a
year in the Treasury.
AS a careful legislator, Representa-
tive Moore has been seeking a solu-
tion of the year-after-year row and
oftentimes hostility regarding Dis
trict legislation. The present situa-
tion emphasizes the need for some
new system. such as he proposes.
What is occurring serves to con-
firm my conviction, heretofore stated
in the House. that a better method
should be found Of dealing with the
District situation.
For Joint Commission.
Owing to the extraordinary rela-
ton in which Congress stands to the
District. 1 have suggested the crea-
tion Of joint committee, with power
to report all legislation and appro-
priations. and authorized to receive
estimates directly from the Commis-
sioners, instead of from the bureau OF
the budget. This would mean a single
committee, dealing comprehensively
with the entire situation, and would
tend to insure a thorough and prompt
consideration of all matters Of i'm
portance. 1t would almost certainly
guard against such a sad mix-up RS
that now threatening us. Certainly
than the present thoroughly unsatis-
factory method, which includes two
committees, not closely cooperating
and largely duplicating the work of
each other, and Jurisdiction divided
between legislative committees and
appropriating committees.
1.-The District is having a rough
road to travel in connection with the
pending appropriation bill. The esti-
mates of the Commissioners submit
ted to the bureau of the budget. 1t
is said, were passed into the hands of
a former senator acting for the bu-
reau, and were most severely cut The
resulting estimates submitted to Con-
gress by the bureau were then cut by
the House committee on appropria-
tions and by the House. The Senate
having variously amended the bill, 1t
went to a conference made up of
three senators and three representa-
tiyes, who, after several weeks of
work, have just now reported their
conclusions, which were arrived at,
Of course. in private conference and
upon the basis Of evidence and dis
cussion which is not made public for
the benefit Of members Of Congress
and the people of the District.
Private Deliberations hit.
'No one questions the abiIiry and
good faith of the conferees, but for
the very reason that their delibera.
tions were private, the subject takes
an ex parte aspect. In passing. It
would be unfair to overlook tho fact
that by materially increasing many
of the items in the House bill. n for
instance the school, sewer and street
Items, they responded to the senti-
ment of the people Of the District.
but, unfortunately, rs 1t seems to
me. the conferees, charged with the
duty Of determining what appropria-
tions should be made. went further
and framed legislative provisions OF
a most radical character affecting the
Continued on Page 6. Column. "a.