Evening star., 1927-12-28
COUNCIL APPROVES
BILL FOR 6D-4O PLAN
Would Reduce Commission to
Seven Members and Pro-
vide Annual Formula.

After amending two major sections,
the Citizens Advisory Council last
night approved the Zihlman bill pro.
viding for a 60.4U division of the 1929
municipal budget between the Fed
eral and District governments and
the creation of standing committee
to recommend a ratio annually there.
after.
The amendments were made to re.
move certain features of the bill. which
tie council considered objectionable.
Chief among them are :hs provisions
for Il standing committee ~ Is mem.
berS. composed of Senators, Repre-.
sentatives and citizens, equally di-
vided. and making the committee a
continuing body. The council took
the position that person mel of Is is
too large. and that the committee
should be abolished as soon as it re.
ports to Congress and not continued
in existence. as Mr.. Zihlman proposes.
Instead of a committee of 10, the
council proposed the appointment of
a fiscal relations commission of seven
members. composed OF two Senators,
two Representatives and two bona fide
citizens OF the District who are not
Federal or District Office holders. the
latter to be appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States. The sew.
enth member would be chosen by the
six SO appointed. The amendment
recommended by the count / provides
that this seventh member shall not be
connected in any capacity with either
the Federal or District governments
nor resident or taxpayer of the Dis.
trict. but who shall be possessed of
special qualifications in the assem-.
bling and interpreting OF data neces.
sary for the work of the commission"
Annual Formula Pl-nned.
The other section of the bill
amended would authorize and d.
rect the commission to lay down
a mathematical formula to be
annually applied to the assembled
basic facts to determine what percent.
age of appropriations for the expenses
of the District shall be paid by the
United States and the District, re.
spectively. which shall be annually
certified by the Bureau of the Budget
to the Commissioners and to Congress.
The data on which the formula would
be based would include all pertinent
facts relative to property holdings
within the District of the United
States and District governments, pri.
vate citizens and corporations and all
tax-exempt property. All such hold
ings would be considered both in re.
spect to their area and value, as well
a. all other facts that would be of
assistance TO the omission in arriv.
ing at a fair and thorough understand.
ing OF the respecti-e interests of the
two parties concerned in maintaining
and upbuilding the National Capital.
The council also objected to the bill
because it fails to authorize an appro-
priation for any personnel for the
committee or for the necessary contin.
gent expenses, and because it author.
ICES the committee to collect informa
ton regarding the powers. duties. ac-
tivities. organization and methods of
business of all administrative services
Of the municipal government. The
latter objection was raised because the
council said 1t Is at a loss to under.
stand what bearing the duties and
methods Of business of the admins.
trative services Of the District gov.
ernment would have upon any study
Of the fiscal relations between the Fed.
eral and District governments.
Pay Increases Approved.
The commission under the councils
plan would cease to exist after Decem.
Der /, 1928, the date fixed for the sub.
| mission of its report to Congress An
| appropriation of $4,000 also would be
| authorized to cover the expenses of
the commission. and IL would be
chargeable to the Federal and District
| governments In equal proportion.
Action on the Zihlman bill was
taken on a report submitted by George
| c. Hayenner.
The council approved pending bills
| to increase the salaries OF the District
Commissioners and the assistants TO
the Engineer Commissioner, but dis
| approved the measure designed to
| regulate the practice OF osteopathy In
| the District because OF alleged faulty
drafting, and the Blanton anti-picket-
| ing bill.