Evening star., 1924-06-06
Lump-Sum Wins,

A compromise on 100000 lump
sum appropriation of federal funds for
the District is a poor outcome of the
conference deadlock on the Capitals s
fiscal measure. This agreement.
reached late last night by the con-
fereeS, constitutes a substantial vic
tory for the foes Of the definite ratio
principle, despite the addition of a mil
lion to the governments share of the
budget, plus the fines and fees that
were added in the House to make the
total, it is roughly estimated, $40 ,000,-
900. Ratification Of the agreement is
10 be expected. There is no reason for
the House to demur, and there is
small ground for hope that the Senate
will insist upon further disagreement.
1t was hoped when the Senate sent
the bill to conference with an equivo-
cal compromise between the 60-40 plan
and the lumpsum proposal, involving
an increase Of the federal contribution
TO s14 900, 900 from SS 900 900, that the
fiXed-ratio principle would be adopted
erence of the matter to a joint COM
mission for full study for the guidance
of Congress at the next session. Fari-
Gus proposals to this end were made
in conference, mainly by senators, but
were resisted to the last by unyielding
opponents Of the fixed-ratio principle.
So, for the present, the definite pro-
portion principle is abandoned in the
maintenance of the National Capital.
The government will during the COM
and indirectly $1,000, 900 more out of
fees and fines, though every dollar of
that additional million will come from
District pockets. Actually this amount
will be close to the ratio. But the vital
ly important fact is that the guaran-
tee of a definite proportion of the Capi-
tai municipality expense is gone.
Nobody can compute the amount that
will be thus contributed another year.
No dependence can be put upon the
fees and fines to become District
credits.
A material increase in local taxation
is in prospect Already high, the Dis.
trict's tax burden is certain to become
higher. For one thing, with the aban-
donment of the fixed-proportion prin-
ciple Congress relieves itself OF the
obligation, from the point of view Of
federal economy, to keep the local
appropriations down to a minimum.
AS long as the ratio was maintained,
in whatever terms, there was an in
centive, in the framing of the appro-
preparation bill, to reduce the items.
every one Of which, with a few ex-
ceptions, entailed some measure of
government contribution. With
lump sum substituted, changeable at
the will and whim Of Congress annual
ly, this incentive to reduce the appro-
priations disappears.
The District wants to grow, to inn
prove, to equip itself fully with all the
essentials Of modern municipal life
and health. 1t has always been willing
10 provide by taxation the means nee
-essary to effect this development, even
TO the extent Of a heavy tax burden.
But it does not face with equanimity
the prospect of an unchecked appro-
priation of it's tax revenues by a legis.
lative body in which it is not repre-.
scented, which has shown Itself to be
hostile to its equitable rights and
needless OF its appeals and protests.
If this new principle in District
federal relationship thus becomes law
and is maintained in the future, the
District has, of course, no appeal. 1t
must accept the situation, protesting
and again showing the inequity of the
procedure, Intellectually because Of the
prejudice and misinformation preva-
lent in the law-making body. 1t still
hopes that on second thoughts Con-
gress may regard this action of 1924
as merely the preface of a full con-
sideration of this matter, proceeding
at the coming session to provide for a
full, free and fair inquiry that will
determine precisely the comparative
tax burdens Of the District and other
communities. Washington has no fear
Of facing such a test. It would wei.
come an opportunity once more to
prove that it is already highly taxed,
and that it needs and deserves the aid
of definite ratio of federal aid