Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-21

Senator Jones stated that some time
ago he sold n piece of property IN MS
city for approximately $4,000 on whicf
the tax basis was listed as but s4oo.
d. C. Il Exception.
At am satisfied that about this Same
situation as to assessments exists vir
tuaily the country over. with the eS
cention OF Washington" he added.
Senator Jones said that congress
should re-establish the 60.40 fiscal ar
ra engagement. as IL provided in the sub
stafltive law OF the District. ne
pointed out that this apportionmen
here was deliberately made by Con
yress on the basis of report of
comprehensive study OF the questior
several years ago by a joint commit
tee of the House and senate.
ION the basis of this report, ne
said. Congress placed on the statute
books in permanent legislation The
nrovision for the e0-40 division, and or
that basis future appropriations
should be made.
He added that when the old 505e
apportionment plan was in operation
he was satisfied that that was fair
| and whs convinced also that the PEG
ME of hts State were. The temporary
nlan of Congress in making an appro
priation of $4,000, 900, he said, should
be aba ndoned.
| Championing the movement foi
granting representative to Washiiis
ton in the House and Senate, Senator
Jones declared he was convinced
that this change in local government
was essential. due to the tremendous
growth of the city and the compieNty
of its problems. This situation. he
said makes it advisable for Washing
ton to have its own spokesman III
| Congress.
In this connection. he praised the
work of the Citizens Joint Committee
on National Representation Tor the
District. of which Mr.. Moves is chair
man.
Six Proposals.
The report by the committee of the
| chamber on municipal finance, Gaining
/ for a return to the 60-4O fiscal pan
| which was presented by Ivan c. Weld,
| and which was approved unanimously
made six recommendations, as foiloWs'
I II. That. pending discovery of a more
| scientific method of procedure, Coii'
sress be requested to base its annuai
! appropriation toward the maintenance
OF the District ON the 6o,40. OASIS NJ
4
?. That 4 thorough investigation be
made 10 secure complete information
as to present fiscal procedure, includ'
ing used and unused revenue sources
| and the amounts expended for all pur-
noses. with indications OF amounts
| Used by the Federal as distinguished
from loca needs.
3. That. using these figures as
basis. a modified form of accounting
procedure be adopted by means OIL
| which future expenditures for these
4 two purposes may be indicated accu'
rately, and dividihs such expenditures
as between maintenance and capital
requirements.
4. That some proper agency be Gre
ated by Congress to consider this ques'
tion and upon consultation with spe-
| cialists in this field. and after full pup
lie hearing, develop permanent
plan of fiscal relation. which. while I'M
| posing no undue proportion OF the
tax burden on District residents. VIII
insure revenue SUFFICIENT to provide
proper upbuilding of the Capital.
Dinferential Stressed.
/ That such future financial pro-
! cadure as NAV be adopted take cog
/ nizance of the differential between
| cifrrent and Capital requirements, ana
that sitie provision be made for spread
| ing such latter costs over an appro'
4 pirate period Of years in order to nat.
| ten the curve of expenditures ana 10
| avoid undue fiuctuation In the de
mands on either Federal or local re
sources"
6. THAT in the Development OF the
financing procedure herein recon-
/ mended the base unit of yearly needs
uoty i'm use be abandoned, save Tor
accounting purposes. in favor OF q
| scheme of financial planning extend
| ing over a period Of at least Ave years.
4 so that future needs may be foreseen
and the fiscal program developed with
! lessened need for deficiency appropri-
| atoms and with greater facility for
euualizing the flow of public eKpendi'
| lures.
The committee stated that 1t had
| found that the taxpayers of the Dis
| trict ARE paying in the form OF taxes
all that they may hope TO pay without
serious arrangement OF local bust
ness structure" The report stated,
| further, that the extensive tax survey
made by the Board of Trade had dem
ofistrated conelusively that the tax
| burden now carried by Washing
tonians to be in every way compar'
/ able to the burden in other cities.
Capacity TO Pay.
The capacity of Washington citizens
to pay for needed improvements
should be taken ihe0 careful consid.
Grafton, the report held. 1t pointed
to the fact that while Washington has
been faced with a decrease of 10000
| employees in Federal civil service here
since 1918. amounting to a pay roll
loss of about SIG 900 900 a year, there
4 has been at the same time a ire.
mendous increase in the tax burden
on local residents.
To Draft Proposal.
In unanimously approving the re-
port of the public safety committee
presented by Charles w. Darr, chair
man, the chamber Endorsed the move
ment for public indemnity measure
for remuneration OF persons injured
In automobile accidents i'm which they
are not at fault, and directed the
committee on law and legislation tc
proceed With the drafting of a pro
posed law covering personal injuries
and property damage as well, inelud
Ing provision for various forms Of
Indemnity. Such indemnity might
take the form of automobile liability
insurance, the posting of bond tt
cover possible damages assessed
against an automobile owner and the
posting of cash deposit.
This accommodating was made by
the Darr committee on the basis o1
data on the question obtained during
the series of hearings conducted by 9
special subcommittee of the public
safety group, consisting Of Jerome
Fanciulli, Charles j. St0ckman, Johf
A. Eekert Harry M. Bedell, DIR
Bernard A. Baer and DIR. Lewis j
Battle.