Evening star., 1925-01-29

privileges enjoyed hy them as con
trasted with tho rates of taxation
paid by residents Of comparable cities.
The permanent adoption OF the
s9.OO0.OOO, plus the turning over to
the District by the United states Of
its share in the divisihIe miscel-
Ianeous revenue, in effect would make
a contribution by the United states
OF S9,S00,O 900. Three factors would
then enter into the tax rate-namely
a. The annual amount of the in
crease in the appropriations for the
District Of Columbia, 90 the increase
tn the total value Of property sub
5ect 10 taxation, and (3) the increase
in the revenue received from miscel-
ianeous sources. If factors ? and 5
do not produce sufficient revenue to
keep pace with the increase in
factor l the inevitable result must
be a corresponding increase in the
tax rate. Ultimately, II the lump
sum be not increased, this rate will
assume proportions more nearly com
parable with levies prevailing in
other municipalities. When that time
arrives Congress may then go into
the question of fiscal relations with
fhe view TO determining what change,
If any, should be made in the manner
and amount of Federal aid
Follows LUmp-Sum Plan.
Congress at the last session adopt
ed the lump-sum plan of contribU-
tton by the United States, and the
committee in reporting this bill has
followed that expression of intent.
1t was unQuestionably based upon
the opinion that the city's growth
and consequent need for larger ap-
propriations had reached the stage
where a line should be drawn as TO
the expenses which are equitably
divisible. Congress yielded to the
demand for larger appropriations for
the fiscal year 1925, once a deter
uinatlon was reached that the Fed
eral Government would not be obli-
gated beyond the $9,O00,0OO and the
surrender of its share Qf the divisible
miscellaneous revenues.
The committee, in the considera-
tiou of this bill, has had in mind the
fact that it could very we'll be more
liberal In providing certain necessary
facilities which the residents of the
city seem to demand, knowing that
the burden upon the United States
would not so beyond the fixed sum
and the excess would represent those
additions which the people OF the city
should have If they were willing to
tax themselves to procure them. AS
a matter of fact, the committee has
gone beyond the budget estimates,
which under the law were submitted
on the 6040 basis, by approximately
500, OQ0.
IF the lump-sum plan should be-
come permanent law, so that the
budget could be presented on that
basis, there is no reason why the
estimates submitted for the District
of Columbia should not be presented
to Congress in such total amount as
the citizens are willing to stand for
by way Of taxation, with due consid-
Grafton being given to the relative
Importance and merit Of the various
objects TO be appropriated for The
Federal Government should not sur
render careful supervision over the
Districts finances. It should require
prudence and moderation. It can.
however, and should, when the people
are willing, permit them to tax them
selves, with the approval of Congress
through the making of the appropria-
tions, for the accomplishment of
municipal purposes which would in
no wise be inconsistent or out OF
harmony with the control which q
government should keep over the de-
Velopment Of a national city.