Evening star., 1922-06-05

| OF course if the District is to be
! chnrgeabIe with interest for advances
TO 1t for short periOds within the fls-
cal year. 1t shOaid be credited with
made by 1t five, four. three, two or
| one year before the money Is to be
ased for District purp0ses to meet
! capital expenditures. Also on the
| principle of what is sauce for the
goose is sauce for the gander, the
same law should not declare it un-
lawful for the United States to make
short time advancements within the
fiscal year to its co-contributor the
District and simultaneously declare it
lawful and compulsory for the Dis
! trict to make longtime advancements.
large In amount. to Its co-contributor
! the United States, years before the
money is to be used for Capital MAIN
| tenance in 1928.
| X X X X
Amendment No. I, shOuid by its own
! wording make perfectly clear when
| advnncementS begin to be made to the
District that should be compensated
! with interest prohibited as un-
lawful. Washington urges that joint
! contributor, Uncle Sam, should not he
viewed as making an advance to hfs
| (cO-cOntributOr which should be COM
/ penxnted or forbidden as unlawful
until he has contributed In full his
own propOrtiOnate contribution for
| the fiscal year. As the active, all
powerful partner In the Joint ar
! co-cOntributOr's assets. 1T In natural
| TINT he should pay all or any neces-
| sary portion OF his own pledged con-
tribut.on before treating himself as
Shyiocklan lender to his Cocoon
tributor.
| The equitable considers tions above
dr rAOsn
| ferees In a series of specific amend
| ments which do not contradict the
| purpose OF amendment number one. but
which simplify and clarity and give
| practical effect to the new fiscal legis-
lation. making IT wiser and fairer.
Washington appeals to the con-
ferees to brush aside technicalities
| and to consider thoughtfully and
sympathetically the suggested changes
II any amendment seems superfiuous,
make 1T. nevertheless. 1t Will do no
harm and will tend to relieve a sore
ly tried community's anxiety
!
The conferees will perhaps he mere
strongly disposed to assent to these
| apparently beneficial and certainly in
| nocuous amendments II they con-
| slider that the conference decisions on
the vitality important issues involved
| in the fiscal legislation are invariably
hostile TO the Districts contention
and hurtful. in the Districts opinion.
| to the Capital community's interest
| 1. Tie legal permanent $3.50 ratio
In dfsplaced permanently by the 6O-4O
| ratio.
.. The unlimited power given to
Congress to make exceptions from
| the GO-4O ratio IL construed by some
us rObbfng the new ratio of definite
ness and permanency.
=. The standard Of assessment is
| changed from not less than twO-thi
to full valuation This change of
| standard. in view of local conditions.
| mt it's best will do no good. and mt it's
worst will do great harm. This
change hns been vigorously urged in
! the past. but neither house of Con-
Eress would have anything TO do with
| II after the District had been heard
| In opposition. Now without hearing
| and without warning the change Is
! made.
| 4. The tax rate on intangfbles is
| fncreased go 2-3 per cent. from 3
| mills to 3 mills. The latest deuber-
| ate action by Congress in respect to
this tax was after full discussion and
| thoughtful confederation to reduce
| the rate from mills to 3 mills. Now,
without consideration. discussion or
| warning. the tax rate Is to be two
| thirds Increased.
3. Under existing law, the nation Is
| the primary and the Capital COM
| munfty the Incidental contributor to-
| ward Capital upbufidinK. The effect
Of the new legislation IL to reverse
| these relations, I'm defiance of every
principle Of business equity and Of
American fair play.
q. Without EiviRE the District the
opportunity to show the unwisdom
and the unfairness of the Legislation,
Uncle Sam diverts partly to his own
use municipal revenues which hnve
heretofore gone solely to the credit
| of the District, and establishes. with
out any consideration whatever by
Congress, the radical and dangerous
precedent Of charging the District
| ground rent.
2. shocked to ind that he has fixed
the Districts tax-payment day so
late I'm the fiscal year that he in ef-
| feet makes small shOrt-time uncOm-
| pensated advances to the District,
! Uncle Sam proposes to correct this
condition by declaring Unlawful these
| slight advancements by him to the
| District and by making lawful and
compulsory the uncOmpensated ad-
| yancemcnt of millions OF District tax
money to him five, four, three and
two years before these ndvaneemenfs
are to be expended for the Districts
benefit.
! WashiDgtOn further suggests, as a
reason for especially sympathetic con-
when 1t seemed Impossible to decide
otherwise than in favor of the Dis
trict's contention. no decision II rem
dered, the issue fs evaded and post
poned.
/. The House proposed to pay this
| year the interest and sinking fund
| iustallment on the funded debt on
| the 6O-4O basis instead of the 5O-5O
basis, though the controller OF the
Treasury and Congress have con-
| strued this 0bligat tiOn OF the United
| States ns contraCtunI and not to be
repudiated. wholly or I'm part. The
issue being whether the approprta-
with law or I'm violation OF law, the
decision was not to make 1T this
year at all.
2, The District has on hand,
| nearly $S.OOAIOOO Of tnx-mohey,
| collected from it's taxpayers. necum-
uIntcd in the Treasury. because not
yet appropriated and expended. The
excess fund of taxes. reported by
the Commissioners and recognized by
the Treasury, should be applied to
| meet its share Of great permanent
Improvement Ontlays like those to
increase the water supply and to
bring the school building plant up
to date. Instead Of thus utilizing this
tax-money, n joint committee is to
be created to ascertain whether the
| amount Of 1t cannot he reduced By
digging up and reviving ancient al
legged indebtednesses of the District
| to Uncle Sam, long ago dead and
buried, and based not upon any law
lessness or fault of the District. hui
| upon the alleged blunders or neElecta
| of the agents of Uncle Sam himself