Evening star., 1926-11-16
NEW GOVERNMENT .
ASKED FOR CAPITAL
Auditor Donovan Tells House
Investigators Old Regime
i !;
Has Been 0utgroWn. !.

That a real "honest-to- goodness
municipal government for the half
million residents Of the National Cap
ital should be set up here II stead OF
the "make-believe" and "siRam' OF
local government that existr today
was the belief expressed today by Dis
trict Auditor Daniel J. Donovan as a
witness before the Gibson subc;ommit-
tee of the House District cofsmittee
investigating the municipal admins
tration.
Mr.. Donovan said that when the
District was wearing swIddling
,lothes more than so years ago the
present form Of government usas set
up, which he believes the local COM
munity has outgrown, and that. there
should now be a modernized sunda-
mental law instead of the patcswork
law at present
The Gibson subcommittee stoday
asked the United States BurSau OF
Efficiency to make a study Sf the
District auditors Office and TIE tax
collectors Office. 1t also snvited
Chairman Madden Of the House ap-
propriations committee. Chairman
Funk of the subcommittee Of Distrtct
appropriations and Representative
Cramton of Michigan. author of the
lump.sum fiscal plan, to appear be-
fore the subcommittee for discussion
of the fiscal policy. as between the
Federal Treasury and the District
taxpayers.
Budget Plan Proposed.
Recommendation from tbs Pet
| worth Citizens Association. We're
submitted by Gilbert I. jackson.
Maj. Donovan told the snbcom
mittee that as the District Camm1s-
sioners are charged by Congress with
esponsibility they should also have
necessary authority which they lack
today. He argued that they :sholud
have the right to prepare the annual
budget and submit it to Congress
direct without intervention Of any
Federal authority.
He said that he believed thA local
municipality should have a controller
occupying the same position toward
the municipality that the controller
general holds toward the united
States, including the District.
Today the District Commissioners
can recommend only for the annual
needs, with the Budget Bureau ilecree
ing just how much Of this estimate
shall be submitted to Congress. AS
! long as the District is operated as TO-
| day, under a lump-sum plan, he said
he can see no logic in submitting the
District budget to the Budget Rureau
but that it should come directly tc
| Congress.
Mr.. Donovan also argued th&t Dis
trict business In Congress could.be ex
pedited and the vexation Of mambers
| of Congress relieved Though the or
/ ganization of a joint committee sto be
,, in charge Of both the budget ara leg
| islative programs. He said this should
be brought in at one time. and II; that
, way both houses Of Congress could
dispose Of the entire District business
at one time instead Of having itsdrib
bling through the entire sessions In
reply to a question from Representa-
tive Reid. Republican, Of Illinois as tc
whether he meant there should b. one
! omnibus bill containing both appro
priations and new legislation. Mr.. Don
ovan said that was his thought. !
He recommended to the subcorAmit
tee that the fiscal relations between
the Federal and District Governrcents
should be determined by a painstakine
investigation. and said that the Dis
: trict temporary lump-sum plan was
not determined in a way to bring out
the respective merits Of the obligations
OF the United States and the locas ia <.
payers. He said his own optimism is
that proportionate plan of shSrins
the cost Of Capital maintenance AID OF
! upbuilding is right.
Mr. Donovan emphasized tha.f iIs.
| tice was not done under the fumrSsurn
arrangement and that there is al OBJ
ligation on the United States to main.
tain the National Capital and to bear
year In and year out. fair shafe of
the total expense. pointing out athat
the local municipality must be dressed
up and maintained as a capital :city
When District Pays Bills.
He argued that the local gc$,ern.
ment ought to have control Of the
! parks and over all appropristions
made from District revenues. He
| pointed out that In the DtstriGA an
preparation bill for the fiscal i}yes r
1927 there is about $4,000 900 which
! goes directly to agencies of the.Fed
| eral Government without any iu~ts
| diction by any municipal Officers In
! reply to question from Representa-.
| tive Reid, Mr.. Donovan said thai che
reason the District ought to have
| control Is because we pay the tSlls. -
District people have no say rega sding
| certain Federal activities they oAlght
not to be obliged to pay any more
| than the people Of his own Aome
town. He questioned the adv1ss 5ility
Of segregating purely municipal: fea
i lures to the District Taxpayers and
whatever partakes Of a Federal; city
| to some other agency.
| Mr. Reid questioned Auditor Dono.
van closely regarding the control of
| the Federal features Of the National
| Capital through a Federal bureau
Mr.. Donovan insisted that he must
not forget there Is a community OF
500 900 persons. here, which cannot
properly be put under a Feder&l bu.
reau. which would not be responsive
to the local interests and needs. He
| insisted there ought to be direcf con.
tact and responsibility betweenf Cor.
xress and the District Commissioners,
saving that he does not believet Con.
gress does It's full duty when 1t srans
fers it's responsibility to any other
CONTINUED onRage ., ColumnE1)