Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-17

! should be increased in some roughly
approximate relation to the increa sc
OF the District budget. If justice re
cures the Nation TO contribute sc
much when the Districts annual bud
get Is so much, the same justice re-
cures IT to contribute more when
the District budget is doubled. The
practical suggestion is that the
amount Of the fixed payment should
be readjusted if there is any notable
! increase III the National Capitals
annual expenditure An immediate
. increase OF the basic lump-sum appro-
! prlatlon of nine millions would for eX-
ample. be in just relation to the stead
! lily increasing current taxes and
| annual expenditures.
Increase Specifically Lump Sum.
t3) The amount Of annual payment
should be increased specifically ia
| proportion to national projects includ-
| ed in the District appropriation bill.
Whether or not there is a general re-
adjustment of the lump sum Contribu-
ton there should be specific Increases
! in that sum representing i'm each
year the placing III the District bud
| get OF primarily national projects
| which it is conceded should be paid
| for wholly or in part from the Ma
| ti0nai Treasury, but which by inclu-
| sion in the District bill and under the
lump sum payment plan as practi-
caIiy applied are paid solely by the
District taxpayers from current taxes.
4 separate and distinct increase of
the basic nine or ten millions should
be made to prevent Congress from
violating its own statutory provisions
that the Nation shall contribute in
large and definite proportions to the
appropriations for certain great ma
tiOnal or Semi-natiOnal projects, as
for example the appropriation for ex.
penditures under the jurisdiction of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. The law provides in re-
spect to appropriations for this con-
fessedly national project that the Ma
ton shall pay its definite proportion
of total expenditure. III Congress
makes appropriations for this national
project without providing for national
participation III the cost OH the sixty
forty basis, which is the existing
statutory ratio of substantive law, or
by making a specific lump sum in
crease of the basic lump sum apprO-
priatiOn in lieu of the definite pro-
portion which the law directs, both the
letter and the spirit of the law will be
violated and the inequity will result
of exaeting entirely from the local
taxpayers funds for national project,
which may, in the discretion of the
commission, be expended outside OF
the District in Maryland and Virginia.
The annual appropriations of more
than a million dollars a year, author
lied as supplemental and Xtraordi-
nary expenditures by the District of
Columbia Park Commission law, are
directed by the law itself to be paid
from the revenues of the District
of Columbia and the general funds
of the Treasury in the same proper
ton as other expenses of the Dis
trict of Columbia"
The current ratio is 1910, fixed In
the substantive law by the new or
ganic act Of 1922. and still unre-
pealed. The wholesale exceptions to
the 60-40 ratio involved in the tempo
rary lump payment plan of 1926 and
1927 merely suspend the substantive
law of 1922 for the year during which
the exceptions apply and do not re-
peal or permanently amend the sub
stantive law.
Add 100000 to Basic Lump Sum.
The Park Commission law clearly
contemplates (and provides) that the
authorized annual appropriation of a
million dollars shall be made, $780,
600 from the District revenue and
S 400 900 from the National Treasury.
If the District appropriations FOR 1873
were 10 be made at the 60-4Q ratio |
in accordance with existing substan-
tive law, this apportionment of the |
parks expenditure would result auto |
matically. But since tentatively and
for only the year, a lump~Sum pay |
ment is to be substituted for the ma
tional 40 per cent contribution. the
Nations contribution of $4,000 or
ought lawfully and
eouitably to be added specifically to
the nine millions of basic lump-sum
payment.
The Park Commission appropria-
ton is made Enthusiastically as a sup
element to the current maintenance
and development appropriation, with
it's nine millions of lumpsum pay
ment in accordance with last years
tentative precedent. If the 60-40
ratio is not applied to the whole APP
preparation and if the lump-sum pay
ment is not increased as suggested,
il is generally recognized that every
cent of the Park Commissions mill
lion dollars per year Tor whatever
part of this amount is appropriately
will come from the District taxpay-
ers.
Congress will not permit any tenta.
tive Juggling with the ratio OF ma
tional and local community contribu-
ton toward Capital development to
throw the whole burden of Park Com
mission expenditure upon the local
taxpayers.
/. The law specifically fOrbids this
procedure by directing division of
the cost.
3. The project is broadly national.
The terms of the law suggest the
patriotic interest in it to the extent
of cent a year contribution of every
man, woman and child in the Repub-
lie. Congress will detect the gross
perVersion OF law and equity which
results in denial to 109, 500, 900
Americans OF all participation in the
patriotic privilege of parks contribu-
ton and exacts the entire ITO ,000, 900
pennies, representing the whole Ma
ton, from the half million Americans
lat more than So annually per head
of the District of Columbia.
3. The title to all the land purchased
by the Park Commission is vested in
the United States. The Park Commits
sion can purchase IAIiu Ill adjacent
Maryland and Virginia as well as I'm
the District. If the whole cost falls
upon local taxpayers. their tax money
win buy for Uncle Sam exclusive title
to land outside of the District in Mary.
land and Virginia.
Since there is to be a lump-suun
payment contribution for 1928, ap-
proximately 100000 should clearly be
added by the House appropriations
committee and the House to the basic
nine million lump-sum payment.
Logically of this million dollars ex-
penditure there would be contributed
by the Nation in additional lump
e,,,,,