Evening star., 1926-02-18
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
Maryland and Virginia.,
Au Other States and Canada.
Member of the Associated Press.
Improve Lump Payment Practice

Improve Lump Payment Practice.
Elsewhere in The Star is reprinted
the petition to the last Congress by
the Citizens Joint Committee on
Fiscal Relations Between the United
States and the District, urging re-
lection oe II. r. 473, which proposed
the Nation for Capital upbuilding in
lieu of a definite proportionate con-
tribution, as provided by the rev
organic act OF June 2s, 1922.
This bill did not become law, but
Congress. leaving the substantive law
unchanged, has for two years as
temporary and exceptional provision
on annual appropriation bills substi'
tuted a lump-sum payment for the
definite proportionate contribution.
Congress may repeat this tentative
provision for next year. 1t may, per
haps after thoughtful consideration
by Joint committee, make the practice
conform to the suhsta ntive law, either
by amending the definite proper
tionate contribution law, or by ceas-
ing the lump-sum contribution excep-
tional practice.
If the lump-sum payment plan Is to
be continued. either temporarily or
permanently, care should be taken in
the legislation to reduce to a mini
mum the inequities and injustices in
htcted by 1t.
The petition of the Citizens Fiscal
Relations Committee cites as one OBJ
lection to the iump,sum payment
plan: ut reduces to minimum or
destroys any chance of equitable pro-
portionate contribution by the United
States in appropriating and expend-
ing the Districts accumulated Treas
ury tax surplus
Without change in the substantive
law and merely through an annual
exceptional appropriation practice the
lump-sum payment plan has accom-
plished this inequity. Our Treasury
tax surplus has now been practically
appropriated and dissipated without
any corresponding participation by
the Nation, either under the definite
proportionate contribution plan or by
increase of the basic lump-suSn pay
ment.
The law or practice of lunap-sum
appropriation should be so shaped
as to prevent such gross and obvious
the municipal taxes of the money for
the use of the National Capital Park
Commission. The law creating the
commission is so worded as to stamp
the project as primarily national. 1t
authorizes the purchase of park land
in Maryland and Virginia as we'll az
the District and provides specifically
that the Nation shall participate in
the cost of carrying out this fine
work Of national park development.
But by making these appropriations
in the District bill and by failing to
provide either by specific separate ap.
propriation or by the necessary in.
crease Of the basic lump-sum pay
InSIll lOE NdllOtbni PoA lAShps%ksoA ass
payment Of expenses incurred by the
commission, as directed by the law,
the whole OF the ll0,OOO.o 900 pennies
annually authorized to be appropriate
ed as the penny-a-year contribution
Of every man, woman and child in
the United States must be paid, II
paid at all, from the tax pennies OF
the half million Americans OF the Dis
trict.
Great, inspiring projects, primarily
national, like that under considera-
ton. should be kept of the District
appropriation bill II the lump.sum
payment plan. either as law or prac-
tice, is to dominate that bill. Prompt
and liberal appropriation in accord
ance with the terms of the law should
be made in some other Of the major
supply bills. Or, If such projects must
be handled In the District bill. then in.
crease the basic lump-sum payment
sufficiently to obey the laws injunc
ton Of national participation, or make
q separate specific appropriation out
side the lump-sum payment to meet
the requirements Of law and equity.