Evening star., 1928-03-28
PHIPPS CONDEMNS
LUMP SUM PLAN AS
VICIOUS PRACTICE"
Reminds Senate That Law
Fixing 60-40 Ratio Has
Never Been Repealed.
D. C. TAXPAYERS SEEN
SH0ULDERING BURDEN
Senator Shows How Cost of Devel-
oping and Maintaining Capital
Has Increased.

Declaring that Washington has been
wronged for the past four years By the
practice Of substituting a SO COO
lump sum for the substantive 60-40 Law,
Senator Phipps, Republican. Of Colorado
made vigorous appeal To Congress To-
day 10 return to a Just, orderly and
method Of doing business in
the City OF Washington, the Capital Of
the United States"
Senator Phipps, who as chairman Of
the Senate subcommittee in charge Of
District appropriations, has made a
painstaking study Of the fiscal relations
between the Federal and District Gov
ernments, told his colleagues that the
lump sum contribution is "unsound in
principle and vicious in actual prac-
tice."
Reminding Congress that the sub
stantiye law Of 1922 fixing the 60-40
ratio has never been repealed, Senator
Phipps said the present temporary ex-
pedient Of a $4,000, 900 lump sum has
been adopted from year 10 year merely
TO prevent deadlock between the two
Houses Of Congress on the annual Dis
tTlct appropriation bill
Taxpayer Is Burdened.
The inevitable tendency-I viii not
say the purpoSe-Of this plan would be
a gradual reduction in the amount Of
the lump sum payment. until at last
the District taxpayer would be stagger-
ing under the whole burden. of main
tanning Washington. not only for him
self. but also for all the people Of the
United States" Senator Phipps asserted.
After pointing out that the great ma
lorlty OF Washington taxpayers are per-
sons OF modest income. including
Federal employees, Senator Phipps told
the Senate:
over IN the House Of Representatives
hearings have Just been held on a biz
for a horizontal increase in Govern
ment salaries, and there has been q
great deal Of sentiment and sympathy
expressed for such a measure. Doubt
less salaries are too low in many cases.
But what are We doing? We are giving
the Government employe his modest
wage with one hand, and we are taking
it away from him in the form OF high
District taxes with the other Is that
good business? Is that statesmanships"
Shows Rise in Costs.
To support his assertion that Wash
ington is being wrOnged BY the present
policy, Senator Phipps gave figures
showing graphically how the total cost
of maintaining and developing the
Capital has mounted. with the burden
Of increase placed on District taxpayers.
He said:
Note the figures. II will be seen that
from 1920 TO 1923 total annual appro-
for Svs~e
mentS have increased over $4,000 600.
that the Districts proportion OF SO. .eOO.-
600 IN 1920 has mounted to S24.s0O 600
III 1928. and that the United States
proportion OF So, 700 600 in 1920 has
dropped 70 S9,00O000 in 1928. In other
words. there has been an increase ~
over 40 per cent in annual aporoDria-
tlonS during this period Of nine wears
and yet the United States is payinr less
today excluding consideration Of GER
tam civiSible items OF miscellaneous
reyenuel by 500 GOO than il di8 IN
1870 OF course, this great increase IN
annual expenditures has been met hv
.ls3vler lax burdens, largely upon real
Now Studying Fund Bill.
The Senate subcommittee is nov on
sageo IN consideration Of the appvopris-
eioh oiI Tor the NEXT fiscal year. which
passed the House with q continuation
oI the $4,000 coo lump sum practice.
III the beginning of his speech in the
Sehate today. Senator Ph,ppS said.
AGAIN we face the question whether
Congress Will do Justice "a the pao,ls az
the District ~ Columbia and ~ re
citizens Of the United States IN main
tanning. improving and bsautifyins the
Capital CITY Of the Nation. 1t Shoulc
not oe necessary to consider that cues
tion at this late date. SO years after
talF, definite and satisfactory plan fov
the hnanclng and development of the
NI'y oL washington was adopted by SOL
emu 0Ct oT congress, Again it should
ho' % necessary % face the problem
at thiS time because TIE eNiStine So
StAnuve Law approved by the senate
ana the House az Representatives. has
settled the matter on a basis which
"tlue bot entirely eQuitaole, would per
'ht washington 60 keep her high place
amoug the capitals of Tie world
however, We must face the SAME old
question. as We have wear after vsar
because the wise provisions of ths
AFganic act OK 1878 have been SET sSt8e
because the substantive law of l9ss
NAieh IS Stlll IN iun legal force ana
,ueet, mas been deliberately heuted. 50
ha' Tor the past four years Washing
ol mas eJen Wrongea and It's progress
has been halted The trend is NOM
oward a eity ot which In tha Spass M
gew years nome Of rs maN b. prs,a
measure my words. bat the sltilat6Dr,
'enants plain language
Partnership Threatened.
Within tpe past few wears. unnten-
lonaly er otherwise. Congress has as
Nmed an attitude toward Washington
which. lt carried "a It's logical e0neha-
aon, VIII utterly destroy the payfneF-
nap between the District ot Ccl}smeia
ma the Federal Government for the
mutual hepent ~ both which haS eX-
>le0 gor many DECADES We are new
GLOWING a policy u st ean bs diguinea
y that term, which Il continued. Win
luStFate all thoNe cherished plans held
n the people ~ The United states FrCN
he very inception % thv District ~
'olumeia. thOSe plans which would
make Washington. ~ architecture. I'm
IT. IA leamlns IA all modern civic
Methods, = leading Capital City et the
GRID
AZ the outset Ne must yemvmeer
aat Washington Is ase0Sether undsr
he control et the UnIted states Gov
roment. a condition watch has exist
4 tor more than 20 years Its ad-
illustrative amt executive officials are
ngAAsnted hy ghs President. ~ anS
fith the consent of the senate Ar
Is laws are enacted by the National
'ongresS Its policies have been shaped
y that body For that matter, there
as heen na serious disagreement BE-
NeeN CONGRESS- and the people ei the
Continued en PAse 8, CeiamR - -