Evening star., 1924-05-01
The Cramton Rider.

The sudden presentation as rider
on the District appropriation bill OF the
Cramton bill to abolish the 60-40 ratio
of District-federal contribution for the
maintenance of the District and to
substitute as federal contribution an
annual lumpsum payment comes as a
shocking surprise and raises immedi-
ately questions of propriety of pro
oedurc. This bill has been pending be-
fore the District committee, which has
taken no action upon it. 1t is now
sprung without warning as a proposed
amendment, which would change COM
pletely the entire fiscal relationship
between the National Capital and the
government.
1t is undoubtedly new legislation, in
that it upsets the new organic act of
1922. which provides for the taxation
Of District property on certain basis,
at 6040 ratio, for five years spe-
cifically. This period is definitely
stated in the act of 1922 as suficing
TO enable the District government, by
the imposition of taxes in excess of
surplus of revenue adequate to meet
the acquisitions on that ratio at the
beginning of each fiscal year after
1927.
The Cramton amendment, if adopt
ed, would be not merely q matter
OF changing the ratio. If a new law
of fiscal relationship is contemplated
it would be necessary to reconstruct
Che entire plan of District finances.
It is believed that this proposal is
clearly subject to q point of order as
new legislation" which is not ad-
thissible on appropriation bills. The
so-caIled Holman rule permitting
amendments which effect reductions
Of appropriations does not apply in
this case to give warrant for its con-
sideration. The established policy Of
the government cannot be upset mere
~ by a proposal which incidentally
reduces or lowers a federal expendi-
ture. The principle Of the law of
1922 is that of a definite ratio Of con-
Tibution. This law declares a tax
levy for five years from 1922 to meet
specifically the Districts so per cent
contribution in these years and to
accumulate n surplus. Our new
organic act ought not to be destroyed
at all for at least five years and then
only by direct substantive legislation,
not by rider On appropriation bill.
Elsewhere in The Star today is
printed a petition to Congress by the
Citizens Joint Committee on Fiscal
Relations and its constituent organiza-
tions, which. urging the rejection Of
House bill AIS, the Cramton measure,
is directly applicable to this present
situation. It sets forth that the Cram.
ton proposition destroys the definite
contribution system, under the benef-
cent operation of which the National
Capital has wonderfully developed
and which, after seven years Of ex-
haustive investigation and prolonged
discussion, has been vindicated by re-
tention in the 1922 law. This measure
also destroys the unrepresented Cap
ital's safeguard against excessive and
unjust taxation; it destroys the fiscal
peace settlement promised by the new
organic act; it teaches a false theory
concerning the relation of the nation
10 the Capital: it reduces to a mini
mum or destroys any chance of equita-
bic proportionate contribution by the
United States in appropriating and
spending the Districts accumulated
Treasury tax surplus.
If the Cramton measure were being
considered on its merits apart from
the improperly of its presentation
now as a rider on an appropriation
bill it would be subject to unanswer-
able objections founded in equity and
justice. For the present the hope Of
the District is that Congress, so lately
evidencing its belief in the righteous
ness of fixed proportion of federal
contribution, will not now repudiate its
own procedure and by a left-handed
move, accepting this proposal, destroy
the structure of law which it erected
less than two years ago.