Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-02-06
NEWPLAN FORD.C.
URGED IN CONGRESS.
Representative Moore Would
Give City Heads Power Over
u, Budget Estimates.

installing a new system of control
which will expedite needed legisla-
ton and facilitate greatly needed
public improvements was advocated
in the House yesterday by Represent
alive r. Walton Moore of Virginia
while the District appropriation bill
was under discussion. He proposed:
Giving the District Commissioners
jurisdiction over estimates for sup
port of the National Capital instead
Of the Budget Bureau, creation OF
joint committee of the House and Sen
ate to consider District legislation,
intrusting TO that joint committee the
duty of passing upon appropriations
for the Capital City instead of the ap-
preparations committee, and granting
the District Commissioners wider ad-
ministrative authority so that they
will not have to be running to Con-
gress all the time for legislation on
minor matters. He also advocated
that the people OF the District De
given national representation.
To substantiate his plea that much
more liberal appropriations are es-
sential for the proper development of
the Capital, Representative Moore
submitted figures furnished him by
the District auditor showing that
right now S54,797,265 is urgently
needed for improvements.
Others Approve Arguments.
Representative Moore frequently
was interrupted by other members
who expressed their agreement with
his proposals. Representative Garner
of Texas, ranking Democrat on the
ways and means committee, said that
Representative Moores philosophy
with regard to freeing the District
from the control of the Budget Blu
reau was undoubtedly correct. Rep
resentative Zihlman, who will be
chairman of the District legislative
committee in the next Congress, also
emphatically Endorsed Representative
Moores plan.
When Chairman Madden of the ap
propriations committee said he would
not agree to the proposal to with
draw from the District the restrain
ing hand of Congress" Mr.. Moore re-
piled that under his plan Congress
would still pass upon the District
budget.
Representative Moore all his life
has been a keen observer of the sit
uation existing between the District
and the Federal Government as his
district is the one lying closest to
the Capital. Since he has been in
Congress he has labored persistently
to promote a better feeling and closer
cooperation between the Capital City
and Congress. His speech yesterday
was cordially received and thus new
evidence was given of the more help
full spirit that is growing up in Con-
gress toward the City of Washington
Sees REIMBURSEMENT Necessary.
IF the lump sum policy is to be
maintained, as now seems probable"
said Representative Moore, "it may
be urged that the Cramton proposal
would have the merit of relieving the
future of any uncertainty as to the
yearly amount of the contribution.
But on the other hand, it can, think,
be urged with greater force that a
rigid determination in advance of the
amount to be contributed is objec-
tionable, because 1t would inf1exibly
forbid Congress, unless the legisla-
ton should be repealed or amended,
from taking into account year-by
year factors which conceivably might
lead to the conclusion that the sum
Of 100000 should not be taken as
fair measure Of the Governments
contribution.
1.-THE new policy, which substitutes
definite amount to be received from
the Government instead of SO per
cent or 40 per cent or any other per-
centage of the total expenditures,
should lead to some such further re-
adjustment of the existing fiscal re-
the District, as I shall now take the
liberty Of outlining
Discusses Budget Bureau.
when the Bureau of the Budget
was created it was authorized by the
law, which Is still in effect, to include
District expenditures in its estimates.
It can hardly be doubted that the rea-
son for this was that the percentage
basis was then being observed, and
there was no suggestion Of it's aban-
donment, and the Government was
thus presently and prospectively in a
sort of partnership with the District
with respect to expenditures of every
character. Upon the adoption of the
lumpsum policy, this reason disap-
pears.
Under the former. condition, it was
in the judgment of many, altogether
reasonable that the bureau should
make up the total estimates. But this
was never desirable, since the pri-
mary function of the bureau is to sur
vey the activities of the depar tments
and estimate for their needs. 1t was
always anomalous and extraordinary
that to this primary function should
DO added the difficult and laborious
duty of dealing in a similar manner
with a municipal situation, having
the same varied and increasing activi-
ties as other cities where there is a
rapid growth of population and in
finite details to be considered The
officials of the bureau have neces-
sarily less Information about the mu-
nfctpal situation than the local au-
thorities, who are constantly in touch
with It's conditions and requirements.
The Commissioners, under whose
supervision the local government is
conducted, are entitled to the confidence
of Congress and the Executive. Their
appointment is authorized by Con-
gress. They are appointed by the
President, who can remove them The
official force which is under their
control compares. favorably with that
Of any other city in the country. 1t
Is confessedly efficient and to an
extent its efficiency is due to the fact
that 1t is more non-partisan than in
many other cities.
Justice to Taxpayers.
"The Commissioners are in better
position than the bureau to prepare
and submit annual estimates to Con-
gress, and to be finally passed on in
such manner is now or will be
hereafter provided The final action
of Congress would restrain any con-
cefvable injustice to the ta1.ayers
and the people generally which the
estimates of the Commissioners might
at any time involve. But in the alb
sence of any showing of injustice in
the way of extravaganza or neglect
or Indifference it may be taken for
granted that Congress would approve
the estimates, inasmuch as every
dollar over and above the lump-sum
appropriation would neither directly
nor indirectly create a call upon the
Treasury, but be paid by the people