Evening star., 1924-12-05
Preserve the Principle of Proportionate
Contribution for the National Capital
Petition by the Citizens Joint Committee Fiscal
Relations Between United States and District !
of Columbia.

Petition to Congress. urging rejection
of III. II. 473, which substitutes
Iump-sum payment by nation for
capital upbuiIding I'm lieu of def-
mite proportionate contribution pay
ment. as provided by new organic
act of June 20. 1922.
To the Congress of the United
State:
Your petitioners, the Citizens Joint
Committee on Fiscal Relations be-
tween the United states and the Dis
trfct of Columbia and the presidents
of its constituent organizations, re-
spectfulIy represent:
The Citizens Joint Committee on
Fiscal Relations between the United
States and District of Columbia, or
ganized in 1915, is now composed of
authorized representatives of the
Board of Trade, 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 KiwaniS Club, the Ciyitan Club
and the Cosmopolitan Club.
X x X
The platform Of principles laid
down by the joint committee and ad-
hered 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 60-40, imposing the so
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,
1928, as follows:
We contend: First, that the United
States should contribute largely to
the maintenance and upbullding of
the National Capital. Second, that
this contribution should be fixed
and definite proportion. Third, that
this proportion should be 60-40, 60 by
the District taxpayers and 40 by the
United States.
x x X
H r. bill 473 provides "that on and
after July /. 1924, the government of
the United States shall not bear any
fixed proportion of the expenses of
the District of Columbia, but shall
pay the sum of $S,0o0,000 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 Oh. r. 473) should be re-
jected for the following reasons:
l. 1t destroys the definite proper
tionate contribution system. under
the beneficent 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
2. 1t destroys the unrcpresented
Capitals safeguard against excessive
and unjust taxation. The compro-
mise law of 1922 coupled with the
imposition of new and heavier tax