Evening star., 1924-05-01
otcomm Fiscal Relations United States Dscmh
nd

Petition ts Congress. urging rSeetion
OF III. n. 473, which suktitutes
lamH-sum payment by nshon for
capital upbuildins I'm Iiegfo of den-
nite prePortionate eont-ibttios pay
meat, ss provided by nes organic
act Of Jane p, 1922.
To the Congress of he United
States:
Your petitioners, the chizeas' Joint
Committee ON Fiscal Relations be
tween the United Stats and the Dis
trfct Of CsiuHbfa anf the presidents
OF it's constituent efsanizations re-
sPeetfuily represent
The Citizens JOINT Committee on
Fiscal Relations htween the United
States and DistrSt of Columbia, or
ganized in 1851 is now composed of
authorized representatives of the
Board Of TraJe, Chamber Of Com
merce, Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, Federation of Citizens
Associations, Committee Of One Hun
dred. Builders and Manufacturers
Exchange, Bar Association, Columbia
Heights Citizens Association, North
east Citizens Association, Georgetown
Citizens Association, the City Club.
the d. c. Bankers Association. the
Real Estate Board, the Rotary Club,
the KiFanis Club. the Civitan Club
and the Cosmopolitan Club.
i y I: x
TIE platform of principles laid
down by the joint committee and ad-
heyed to in the committees brief in
the hearings before the joint select
committee in 1915. the House District
committee in December. 1919, and the
Senate appropriations committee in
April. 1920, is as follows:
We contend: First, that the United
States should contribute largely to
the expenses OF the District. Second,
that this contribution should be a
fixed and definite proportion. Third.
that this proportion should be at
least one-half.
This platform was modified by the
Districts new organic act of 1922,
which reaffirmed the principle of def
mite proportionate contribution by To-
cal community and nation toward
Capital upbuilding, but changed the
$3.50 ratio to 6040, imposing the 60
per cent burden upon the local tax
payers.
The committees platform of prin-
ciples, thus modified, was announced
by the executive committee of the
citizens Joint committee, october 81,
1923, as follows:
We contend: First. that the United
States should contribute largely to
the maintenance and upbuilding of
the National Capital. Second, that
and deanite proportion. Third. that
this proportion should be 60-40, 60 by
the District taxpayers and 40 by the
United States.
H r. bill 473 provides that on and
after July /, 1924, the government of
the United States shall not bear any
axed proportion of the expenses of
the District of Columbia, but shall
pay the sum of Ss,000,000 annually to-
ward defraying such expenses of the
District as may be appropriated for
by law" This bill thus destroys ut
terly the definite proportionate re-
lated plan of Capital contribution.
to protect which practically all of
organized Washington has united in
the Citizens Joint Committee.
This bill (H. r. 473) should be re-
jected for the following reasons:
l. 1t destroys the definite proper
tionate contribution system, under
the bcneficent operation of which the
National Capital has wonderfully de-
veloped, and which after seven years
of exhaustive investigation and pro-
longed discussion, has been vindi-
Gated by retention in the 1922 law.
x x :: <
,. IL destroys the unrepresented
Capitals safeguard against excessive
nnd unjust taxation. The compro-