Evening star., 1925-01-16
Representative Would Have
Issues Handled Separately
on Their Merits.
COMMITTEE GETS PLEA
FOR FORMER SHARE PLAN
Citizens Federation Calls Proper
tionate. Payments by U. S. and
D. C. Only Fair Method.

| Representative Louis c. Cramton of
Michigan today asked the House Dis
| trict committee to eliminate from his
bill the first section, making the
| four-and -a-half- million dollar surplus
| available to the District, and to con-
| slider separately and on its merits the
| Cramton proposal to mako permanent
the lump sum contribution by tht
| Federal Government toward meeting
the expenses of the National Capital.
| The meeting of the committee was
| called at the request of Representa-
tive Cramton. The surplus bill s
now the unfinished business before
the House for the next District day
Petition Before Committee.
At the same time the committee had
| before 1t petition from the people
| of the District, through the Fedora
! tion Of Citizens Associations, asking
! Congress to grant them as matter
! of simple justice the observance OF
! the principle of definite proportionate
| contributions by the Federal Govern
/ ment and District OF Columbia in ap-
| propriations for the maintenance, up
| keep and development of the National
| Capital.
At first Representative Thomas J..
I BlanIOn, beUlOCTdl7 Oh SAdS a
| point of order against the eXtraor-
| binary meeting OF the committee, but
withdrew it when Representative
! Cramton said he wished to be heard
for only 10 minutes Representative
! Blanton said that if Mr.. Cramton
! would accept an amendment to his
| bill that no contribution shall be
made from the Federal Treasury until
the tax rate In the District is $3.50
| per hundred he would cooperate in
| putting through the Cramton bill.
| Representative Zihlman of Mary
land. who was acting chairman of
the committee, and William c. Ham
mer of North Carolina, Democrat,
argued that a lump sum contribution
was not a just and equitable method,
and that a definite proportion, deI
| termined by investigation, as to what
was a just sharing in the expenses
should be adhered to. as is provided
in existing law.
Rate of $50 Protested.
Representative Hammer also pro-
tested that there was need of a
$3.50 tax rate in the District, as pro-
posed by Representative Blanton.
Representative Cramton reviewed
the history of his proposal, which
was originally introduced on Febru-
ary 8, 1923, in the Sixty Seventh Con-
.
to make this Legislative proposal be-
cause he realized that the National
Capital is developing and spreading
! out rapidly and he believes these
developments are not in the Federal
activities. and that, accordingly, it
is not fair for the Federal Govern
ment to share in these growing costs.
He said he wanted Congress to con-
tinue making generous contributions
because II has local interests in the
city and because all of the people of
the United States have a proper pride
in the Federal City. He said that II
the committee will act upon his lump
sum proposal, he hopes to find some.
way to have it coupled with the dis
posal of the District surplus bill
he endeavored to do at the close of
the last session.
Sees Principle Approved.
Representative Cramton argued that
the action of both House and Senat
in accepting his lump sum proposition
in the current appropriation bill,
which was compromise agreement
in the Legislative jam which threaten
ed to prevent action on this important
supply bill constituted IAN over
whelming Endorsement by both branches
of Congress of the principle of his bill,
on which he now asks the committees
approval
Representative Zihlman reminded
! Representative Cramton that the
definite proportion principle was
reached after an investigation re-
garding what was a fair method of
dividing the expense, and Representa-
tive Zihlman argued that establishing
lump sum of $9,0o0,000 with the
cost of the Capital constantly grow
ing, would be a ruthless method of
| t,,;li I've hn Nncfc nGf
trict residents without any attempt
to find what would be fair division.
Lump Sum Defended.
Representative Cramton said that il
a lump sum was established the resi-
dents of the Capital, who wished i'm
provements which call for larger ap-
propriations, would be in a more
=. dignified position because such ap
preparations would be paid from in
creased taxes by themselves He ex-
/ planned that Representative Blanton's
proposal was to put the people of the
District in a contrary position, because
after they had paid a $3.50 tax rate,
the increasing costs would be paid by
the Federal Government and not by
themselves.
Representative Gilbert of Kentucky
questioned Mr.. Cramton regarding
what proportion of the appropriations
for the next fiscal year his proposed
lump sum of So 600, 900 would be- Rep
resentative Cramton replied that he
is convinced there is an actual need
for at least s33O00,000 in the next
appropriation bill for the District and
that under the 60-40 plan the Federal
, Governments share would be more
than $4,000, 900, so that. under the
lump sum the Federal Government
would save more than S4,000,000.
REPRESENTATIVE Gilbert said that he
would not approve the establishment
of the lump sum unless the $4,500,-
600 surplus was made available to
make up the shortage contemplated un-
der the Cramton plan.
Calls Action Hasty.
Representative Hammer told Mr..
Cramton that he must not consider
the action of the House last year in
accepting the lump-sum proposal as
Endorsement of such policy. He said
IT Just happened to At in with the
way things were drifting at the time,
but that at best 1t was a haphazard
arrangement, not based on equity;
that the old $3.50 and later 60-40
ICOntinued on PAGE n Cnuynn "a