Evening star., 1924-06-16

The controversy over the fiscal re-
governments does not end with the
drastic action taken in the last few
days of the session of Congress just
closed.
Even granted that Congress in both
branches has gone on record in favor
of the principle of a lump-sum appro-
priation from the federal Treasury
toward the upkeep of the Nations
Capital, there are still two or three
important matters to be settled:
First-what is a fair and just lump
sum contribution?
Second-When a fair lump sum has
been agreed upon, why should the
budget bureau longer continue to use
the pruning knife on District esti-
mates when the people here are go
ing to pay the bill?
Third-How soon is the federal
government going to turn over to the
District for public works in the Ma
tional Capital the nearly s4,500,000
surplus from District taxes now held
in the federal Treasury?
Friends of the District in Congress
are still giving serious consideration
10 Cne uSCdI CTylTS 10 nave IL
settled between the federal and Dis
trict governments on an equitable and
permanent basis that Congress will
not disturb annually at the whim of
some one or two members indulging
in the practice of bullying the Dis
trict when it can't fight back.
In the closing hours of the SeS-
sion a member of the House Dis
trict committee under a five-minute
leave put into the Congressional
Record ten pages of remarks regard
ing the District, largely of a critical
character. In the course of his re-
marks he promised to bring in early
in the next session what he termed
proper tax measure, which would
relieve the federal government from
paying more than S5,oO0,O0o toward
the support of the Capital City of all
the people.
That threat, while the ink was was
federal share of the Capitals ex-
penses at s9,ooo,ooo. shows clearly
s9, 600, 900 will be maintained year
after year as the federal quota but
indicates that early and repeated ef-
forts will be made to reduce the
amount to a dwindling minimum.
1t became apparent during conS1d-
Grafton of the District appropriation
bill, and especially the fiscal rela-
tions provision, by the conferees for
the Senate and House that some steps
ought to be taken toward stablllzlns
fiscal conditions for the future.
Representative William a. Ayres OF
Kansas strongly urged the adoption
of a resolution fathered by Repre-
sentative r. Walton Moore of V1r-
rinia for appointment of special
committee to report whatever legis-
lation might be found desirable. This
vas agreed to on the part OF the
Senate conferees, but the conference
failed TO get one or two Of the House
conferees to agree upon it,
x X
lust exactly what the Senate con-
ferees and Representative Ayres
were united in supporting. but what
Renresentative Charles A. Davis of
minnesota, chairman of the House
conferees, refused to accede to, is as
follows:
"That a committee to be composed
of three senators, to be appointed by
tha President of the Senate, and three
ranresentatives, to be appointed by
The Speaker of the House of Repre-
santatives, and three residents OF the
District OF Columbia, to be appointed
Nv the President Of the United States.
90 created and is authorized and di-
rected to inquire into the present fis-
cal relations between the United
states and the District of Columbia,
with q view of ascertaining and re-
porting to Congress whether the
United States should contribute a
fixed or lump-Sum amount annually
as its share Of appropriations for the