Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-25
H|GHERPAYF c.
HEADS HITS SNAG
Appropriations Committee
Lacks Jurisdiction Over
Chambers Proposal.

The movement launched by the
Washington Chamber of Commerce
for increasing the salary Of the Dis
trict Commissioners from 1880 to
900, to place them on q parity
with members of Congress, struck a
snag temporarily today when the
Funk subcommittee of the House ap-
preparations committee, after hearing
arguments on hte proposal, ruled
that it lacked Jurisdiction in the
matter.
Holding that legislation is neces-
sary for increasing the salary OF the
city heads, Representative Funk re-
ferred the chamber committee to the
House District committee, which
meets tomorrow.
Statements Placed on File.
The Funk committee, however,
heard arguments by members of the
chamber delegation in support Of their
contention that substantive law would
not be required in the matter and also
accepted and filed for reference a for
NAL statement by the delegation Civ
ing arguments for the increased sal
aries.
The chamber members were unde-
cided this afternoon what action they
would take other than prepare a state
ment for submission to the Funk COM
mittee insisting that only an appro-
priatton item is necessary to provide
the increased salaries. They contend
ed at the hearing this noon that The
classification act superseded the early
law setting the salary of q Commits
sioner at $500
A statement submitted by Mr. Har-
per for the committee traced the his
tory of the salaries of the Commits
sioners and members of Congress,
pointed out the great increase in du-
ties that has in recent years been
placed upon the shoulders of the Com
missionerS, and concluded with the
declaration:
1.-THE increased salary asked for
should not necessarily be looked upon
as an additional burden upon the tax
payer of the city, when it is expected
that by such an increase the Presi-
dent of the United States shall find it
less difficult to get business or pro-
fessional men of large experience to
accept appointment and devote I'M
stintingly their entire time TO the du-
ties of the high office"
I'm 1907" he said, "the salary of
a Congressman was raised to $500
per annum and that of a Commits
sioner continued at $4,000, although
the dmandS on and responsibility of a
Commissioner had been greatly in
creased. The revenue of the District
at that time with the Federal con-
tribution was about $40 100000, with
5 1000 employees.
Cites Growth in Revenues.
In 1915 the revenue plus the Fed
eral contribution had grown to more
than $4,000, 900 and the employees in
creased to $500, he said.
In 1925 the salary of a Congress-
man." Mr.. Harper recounted, was
raised to $4,000 per annum, and that
of a Commissioner set at $500, al. |
though the revenue of the District of
Columbia, plus the Federal contribu- |
ton, had grown to the enormous sum
Of about $2S, 100000 and the number |
Of employees had increased to 10,j00.
To-day, the assessed value of prop |
srty in the District of Columbia has |
reached the tremendous sum of $780, |
749,842. The population has Increased |
to half million, and practically the |
entire section known as District of |
Columbia is built up, or is being rap
dly transformed from acreage taxa
ion to square-footage assessment"