Evening star., 1923-02-06
A Wise and Fair Decision.

Washington owes a debt of graft
tude to the congressional joint select
committee, our high court of fiscal
equity, for the painstaking thorough
ness, the fairness and the ability with
which it has performed its important
Semi-judicial functions.
It has met without exception all the
issues submitted to it by the law. 1t
has answered the questions concern
ing the existence and amount Of the
Districts Treasury surplus; concern
Ing comparative national and local ex-
penditures in capital adorning and up
building since 1874; concerning inter-
est calculation upon indebtednesses,
legal or moral. and concerning the net
legal or moral Indebtedness from ma
tion to capital, or vice versa, after all
the claims to hitherto neglected equi-
table credits on both sides Of the ac-
counting have been judicially con-
sidered.
In literal obedience to the terms of
the law interest on the indebtednesses
Of both parties, legal or moral, is cal
culated, though the committee finds
that both law and equity forbid the
collection of such interest from either
party.
The committee has painstakingly
analyzed the facts, figures and reason
ing, under each heading Of possible
national credits, legal or moral, sug-
gested for consideration in the report
of Haskins and Sells, whether sub
mitted by those vigorous and able ad-
vocates Of Washington, Auditor Dono.
van, Accountant Tweedale and the Of
zens' joint committee, or by the capa-
BILE and fair-minded representatives of
the national government, like Mr..
Galloway for the Department Of Jus.
tice and Mr.. Taggart for the Treasury
Department The committee has com.
pared under each heading the views
submitted from these differing angles
upon each issue raised by Ifaskins and
Sells, and it's legal conclusions based
upon this careful review Of the evi
dence should have the impressive force
Of judicial decisions.
Washington has presented in good
faith its claims to equitable credits
in large amounts, If the accounts OF
the past between nation and capital
are to be unsettled, reopened and re.
adjusted on lines that meet today's
conception of equity. If ancient al.
legged debts are to be resurrected
against it, Washington urges that its
equitable claims of the past must be
resurrected In its favor.
Our court Of fiscal equity decides in
substance against the resurrection of
buried Indebtedness or claims of debt
by either party. In effect, it refuses
to reopen debt adjudications Of the
past, whether by the controller Of the
Treasury (now controller general of
the United States) or by Congress.
Both capital community and nation
will wisely accept and welcome this
compromise, peace-promOting, fric-
fion-removing decision. 1t is in the
very spirit of the law of June 90
1922, which, after increasing Wash
ington's taxes and decreasing or elimt.
mating certain sources of purely Dis,
trict revenue. fixed 60-40 as a new
permanent rate Of definite proportion,
ate contribution toward capital build
ing, an enactment which, it was
hoped. would remove for many years
g. then-existinS cause of irritation in
the relations of nation and capital.
This surplus decision, IL approved
by this Congress, will supplement and
round out our new fiscal law Of 1922
with IFS amnesty and peace proclama-
tions; its reciprocal forgiveness of of
setting claims of debt; its refusal to
resurect and revivify alleged ancient
debts on either side Of the account; its
wiping clean of the. Districts f1scal
slate, leaving It to make fresh start
with distinct if small net surplus
balance; and finally its banishment fol
time tmay the term be long9 of g
strife-breeding issue from the refa
tions of nation and capital. of which
both Congress and the people of Wash
ington are inexpressibIy weary.
With the old contentious over unset
tied ratio and indefinite surplus thu!
removed from the equation Congress!
can appropriate the local-nationa
revenues provided by law for the capi
tai expeditiously, wisely and as liber
ally as the financial conditions Of ma
tion and capital permit. . 1t has been :
blessed relief in disposing Of the pend
ing District appropriation bill that th'
definite 60-i0 ratio Of contribution il
fixed and that the bill has not beer
impeded in its course and will not b
endangered in conference by the oil
contention between Senate and Hous
over the issue of definite or indefinite
$3.50 or 6O-40, ratio of contribution.
Cra,oa opd T,1rkeu yorooip fpcJfp a.