Evening star., 1927-12-08

the most interest in public affairs and
give the most time to our municipai
problems" The Joint Citizens Com
mittee was divided into an executive
committee, committee on financial
facts, n committee on historical facts,
Il committee on statistical facts,
committee on finance and "A special
committee on assessment and taxa
ton.
Fiscal Data Gathered.
During the Summer of 1913. In prep
aration for the hearings to begin In
the FAN before the joint congreS-
sional committee, this group at en-
zens, spending much time and much
money, collected a great mass of data
concerning the fiscal relation between
the District of Columbia and the
United States since the founding of
the city in 1890. In quantity this nla-
terial was unprecedented. and ii is
doubtful if ii will ever lie duplicated
in breadth of scope. 1t was gathered
chiefly from official sources in the Ma
tional and District governments as
well as from responsible municipal
authorities of other cities.
In explaining their appearance with
this material before the select joint
committee Of Congress the citizens de-
scribed themselves not only as resi-
dents of the District and District tax
payers but at National citizens, rep
resenting the National as we'll as the
local view toward the Capital City.
Briefly, their task before the con-
creSsional committee lay, first, in dis
proving the allegations that Wash
=
burden of taxation, the standard of
comparison being the taxes paid by
residents of other representative
American cities; second. i'm arguing
for continuation of the fixed proper
tion of sharing the expenses for the
Capital between the District and Fed
eraf governments, and. thirdly, IN
that government and
financing of the Capital are inSepara-
bile in that fixed proportion system
of appropriating is in effect partial,
though inadequate, recOmpenSe for
taxation without representation. to de-
stroy it being to destroy the last YES.
tige of protection left to an unrepre-
sented American community against
what too often had been shown to he
the whims and theories of its exclu-
sive legislators.
Many Schemes Offered.
During the hearings by the select
joint committee of Congress the Citi-
Zens' Joint Committee bore the brunt
of the burden in it's role of counsel
for the defense. with Washington on
trial before an unbiased court. But
WashingtOnians who appeared before
the committee We're not confined to
members of this Citizens Joint Com
mittee. Many others appeared, some
of them taking the opportunity to- air
their grievances about the way things
were being run in the District, others
with what they considered clever
panacean schemes by which the
perennial row between the House and
the District over appropriation bills
would forever he stilled. After
lengthy arguments had been pre-
sented both pro and con, and page
upon page of testimony taken, the
congressional committee ended its
hearings and proceeded to draft its
report.
Generally speaking, the report was
a victory for those whose views had
been presented by the Citizens Joint
Committee. But. unfortunately. the
report was not explicit in some mat
ters, and therefore became subject to
opposing interpretations. The COM
mittee found. for instance, that the
system laid down in 1878 of definitely
apportiOning expenses between Nation
and Capital was logical: that it's in.
corporation in the organic act was
brought about after thorough study
by Congress which recognized the
economic necessity for it. and at the
same time rededicated tho National
Legislature to the principles of capi-
tai building laid down by the found
ers: that without this system it would
have been impossible To develop the
Capital as it had been developed dur
ing the preceding 3S years.
Fixed Rule Opposed.
Tn view Of changed conditions, how
ever, the committee found that fixed
and arbitrary rule of proportionate
contribution no longer was necessary,
and, instead Of a fixed and arbitrary
proportion, proposed that fair rev.
enue in taxes should he collected from
the City OF Washington and deposited
to lis credit in the Treasury. to be
used to defray the expenses Of the
city alone, and that Congress, ire
spective Of this amount, should ap
propriate for the National Capital Sin
such sum as will not only continue
the City OF Washington and the Dis
trict Of Columbia in every respect as
| the splendid and beautiful residence
| Of this great Nation, but also to cause
il to become and he forever main
| modal far all he cities