Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-07
increase the Lump-Sum Payment.

increase the Lump-Sum Payment
Existing substantive law authorizes
the appropriation from the Treasury
as the annual national contribution
toward the Capitals maintenance and
municipal uphuilding, Of 40 per cent
OF the total appropriation carried by
the District appropriations bill. For
q few years the appropriations COM
n1ittees have not exercised to the fun
the appropriating authority and
power given by the substantive law.
These committees have recently, Con-
gress asserting, appropriated from
the Treasury for District purposes
each year a lump sum, considerably
less than 40 per cent of the total APP
preparation
If Congress, with or without the
Districts assent, changes the sub
stFntive law so that it authorizes or
directs for a fixed period or indefi-
nitely the appropriation of lump
sum of nine million dbllars annually
instead of the 40 per cent authorize
ton, Congress cannot appropriate
more than that amount, even If it
wishes on some occasion to do so.
This change in the substantive law
would involve A distinct loss to the
District in two particulars. First, in
respect to the ratio plan of national
contribution. The 60-40 plan is now
the substantive law. and cannot be
changed except by a legislative pro-
posal which runs the gauntlet Of
both District committees and both
Houses of Congress. If by the Dis
trict's assent the lump-sum plan OF
nine millions annually were made the
substantive law even for a limited
period il could he changed back into
the definite ratio provision only by
the same painful gauntlet-running
process. And, second, in respect to
the amount of lump-sum payment
under that plan. If the 60-40 plan is
the substantive law during the dis
cussion of the amendment which pro-
poses to substitute for it the lump
sum payment plan the just amount
of that lump-sum payment can be
thoroughly considered with some
prospect of equitable increases of the
nine millions payment by way of
compromise between the House and
Senate and in the meanwhile we
can urge upon the appropriations
committees to make clearly just in
creases in the annual lump-sum pay
ment, bringing the national contri-
button closer to the 40 per cent of
total appropriations which the law
authorizes the appropriations COM
mittees and Congress to appropriate.
II we assent, AS the first step in
CUR campaign, to make the nine mil
lions lump-sum payment the substan-
tive law we cut ourselves off at once
from asking the appropriations COM
mittees to increase that amount In
Justice and we reduce materially our
chances of getting such increase in
the amount to be stated in the sub
stsntive law.
The Districts sound policy would
seem 10 he: % Without asserting to
a change in advance in the substan-
tive law. as proposed in the first sec
ton Of the pending fiscal relations
bill, to seek in the exact terms of the
second section of that bill the creation
Of q Joint committee to examine into
the whole subject of fiscal relations
and 10 report whether the percentage
ratio proportion plan or the lump.
sum payment plan should become
permanent substantive law; and II
the latter, what the amount of that
lump-sum payment should be, and
what corresponding limitations, II
any. should be made upon the amount
81 contribution to be exacted by
Congress from the taxpayers Of the
District. 90 If joint committee IL
not created and the direct proposition
IL made to substitute a nine million.
lump-sum payment for the 60-4t
ratio in the substantive law to oppos,
vigorously both the change in tn
method of national contribution, and
II the lump-sum payment plan is I,
prevail, the limitation to nine mil
lions of that lump sum. go To appea
urgently to the appropriations com
mittees Of House and Senate to in
crease the nine millions lump-sun
payment in this sessions District APP
preparations bill. Existing substan
tive law gives them authority TO in
crease this amount up to 40 per cen
Of the total appropriation. Under tn
present practice gross and glarin
intustices have resulted and withou
increase of the nine millions will con
tinue TO result through the exactio
from the District taxpayers OF none
in large amount to pay for con
%fessedly national projects. If thes
intustices are made clear to the Az
preparations committees they wi
constitute an irresistible argumen
either for increasing the lump-sur
payment or for financing all nationa
and some semi tional projects O
some other OF the supply bills tina
that making appropriations for tn
District.
Hearings on the District bill begi
Janusry 10 before the House subcom
mites. II would seem sound polio