Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-13
Equity for Washington.

D.. COupling the DtStflcl uehta'iu io'
national representation in Congress
and the electoral college with that for
fiscal equity in the restoration of the
fixed ratio plan of Capital main.
tenance. Senator Arthur Capper last
night, before the Board of Trade. en-
Joined the citizens OF the District to
ego as far as they can and "a strong
as they can" in asserting these rights.
He expressed his approval of both
propositions. In the past he has been
a consistent. firm advocate OF both
political and fiscal equity for Wash.
ington. As chairman OF the Senate
District committee he has held strictly
to the belief that the District should
be represented in Congress and that
II should receive the full measure of
Justice in appropriations which is
pledged by the substantive law.
Washington Is already going as far
as it can and as strong as it can. in
Senator Capper's words. to obtain this
dual measure of equity from Con.
gress. 1t has for long period been
laboring for national representation
through joint committee of citizens
representing numerous organizations
and also unorganized Washington,
unanimous in the demand that the
members of the Capital community
should be placed upon the same politi-
cal plane as residents of the States in
the matter of national representation.
Through that committee the Capital
citizens have been given various hear
ings before committees OF Congress.
receiving steadily increasing favorable
attention. 1t is now through the same
agency preparing for other hearings
at the present session, which it hopes
win result in favorable reports TO the
two houses on the joint resolution
proposing a constitutional amendment
enabling Congress to grant national
representation.
In the same manner and degree the
citizens of the Capital have fought
for fiscal equity. through joint COM
mittee on fiscal relations. That COM
mittee for years resisted seerts TO
change the ratio establish. Yin 1878
by which the United States contrib
uted fifty per cent of the total cost
Of Capital maintenance. The District
was ably represented by that commit
tee throughout the investigation con-
Quoted by a joint committee of Con-
gress. When the ratio was changed
the Citizens Joint Committee pro-
tested. and when. without amendment
or repeal of the substantive law,
change was effected to lump sum
OF Federal funds arbitrarily placed at
50 ,O00, 900. it continued its efforts to
secure the restora ton OF the fixed
ratio principle. Now the District
Commissioners have In an unanswer-
able presentation of the matter
formally urged Congress to return to
the substantive law, and this recon-
mendatfon is supported by the unani-
nous voice of Washington.
The District cannot fight for its
rights any harder than it has fought
during decades past. 1t has no voice
In Congress. the body which makes
It's laws, which hears its petitions,
which taxes it and determines the
manner in which it's funds shall be
spent. 1t can go no further than. it
has gone already in demonstrating the
insquity Of its political status and its
fiscal relations with the United States.
But Washington has always been
sustained In its hopes and aspirations
by those friends in Congress who
know the situation. who see it as
clearly as do the Westinghouse
themselves and who constantly strive
for equity for the District. 1t is en-
couraged now by outspoken public
advocacy OF It's cause by influential
members of both houses. and it hopes
that at this present session 1t will
, gain its ends through the adoption by
Congress OF the constitutional amend
nnent permitting the grant OF national
representation and through the res
toration OF the substantive law In gov
erning appropriations.
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