Evening star., 1924-05-03
Jughandled and Unjust.

The leaders in Congress ought to
consider carefully. the effect of the
Cramton amendment before they per
NIT it to be inserted from the floor
of the House into the District appro-
priation bill.
The minute that an eight-million Tor
any other lump sum payment is by this
procedure substituted for the proper
tionate contribution now authorized
by substantive law. in that moment
the Capital is betrayed into the hands
Of those who would deny all national
participation in Capital maintenance
and upbulding.
For the effect of this radical change
an substantive law under a strained
construction of the Holman rule Is
10 put the national appropriation for
Capital upbuilding in a position where
IT may not be increased without run
ming the gantIet OF the District COM
nittees and of District day limita-
tions and delays, but may be de-
creased without the sanction of any
committee by hasty, unthinking pro
poSalS from the floor of the House,
adopted by a mere majority of the
little group Of our legislators who take
g friendly or hostile interest in Dis
trict concerns.
Immediate increases, however
wholesome and necessary under ex-
tsting conditions, are in effect prohib-
fted. Hasty, irresponsible decreases
are invited and facilitated.
How this opportunity would be util-
ized is made clear in the proceedings
in committee of the whole when the
Cramton amendment was pending.
An amendment to cut the eight
million lump-sum payment to five mil
lions was held i'll order and was de-
feated by vote of II to Is.
An amendment proposing to make
no national contribution until the tax
rate was more than doubled, the effect
of which would be to cut down the
national contribution to nothing, was
held in order and was defeated by a
narrow margin in a vote of IA to 18.
When Mr.. Cramton attempted to
make his proposal fairer by changing
other provisions of the law of 1922
TO conform to the spirit Of his project,
lie was ruled out of order, because he
was seeking to change substantive
law through an appropriation bill
without saving money or making
money for Uncle Sam. The part of
s,l, a
too small provision for the Capital
proposed by the appropriations COM
mittee was in order, but his proposal
to do equity without repudiating any
part of Uncle Sans financial obliga-
tons under existing substantive. law
was not in order and could not be
considered unless it went through the
District committees to enactment.
The House should consider whether
the Holman rule as construed today
is not vicious in tendency, though Of
course not in intent. The rule seems
TO say in effect that in action upon
appropriation bills no substantive
legislation can be altered unless
Uncle Sam repudiates some finan-
cial obligation or otherwise makes
money by the change.
Ought not the Holman rule in order
to do equity be reconstruct CT re-
modelled or abrogated?
This legislation is jug-handfed, one
sided, unfair. 1t gives back to the ma
tion its pledge of prOpOrtiOnate con-
tributi0n, which accompanied national
seizure of the Capitals power of self
taxation, without restoring to the Dis
trict this sef-taxing power of which
it had been deprived. It's practical ef-
feet is to place a maximum limit ON
the contribution of the United States
and to remove the limit entirely from
the contribution of the local tax.
payers.
. Indeed, the announced purpose Of
the proposed legislation is to enable
q taxing body in which the District is
not represented to increase the local
burden Of taxation at its pleasure, un-
checked by the existing requirement
that every such increase be reflected
in some measure in national taxation
for Capital upbuilding.
The maximum national contribution
Is made definite during the time in
which Congress refrains from dimin-
ishing it in response to the invitation
TO decrease rendered by the Holman
rule; but all limits are declared off
in respect to the local contribution,
and it remains definite only in the
certainty that the local tax burden
will be largely increased, and that
the local taxpayers will not partici-
pate at any time in the decision Of
the amount of the increase, the
methods of taxation by which the in
crease is secured and the purposes for
which the tax money is spent.