Evening star., 1928-01-06
Lump-Sum Practice Taints
With Unfairness Whatever
Agreements 1t Touches
NO BENEFITS TO OFFSET
INJURIES INFLICTED
Increase at Once Lump-Sum Pay
ment and Cut Semi-National
Projects From District Bill.
Editorial Correspondence Of The star.
THEODORE w. MOVES.

4. The lump sum payment practice
taints will, unfairness or bad faith
many of the agreements, understand
incS or transactions which II touches.
ta) It came into existence as
rider on an appropriation bin in de.
iance of substantive law as the IN.
lawful offspring of the Holman rule.
This misapplication of that rule
tends to put the national appropria-
tion for Capital upbuilding In n posi-
ton where 1t may not be increased,
however righteously. without run
ming the gantIct of the District com
mittees and of District day iimita-
iions and delays. hut may he de.
creased. honestly or dishonesty, with
out the sanction OF any commit
tee by hasty unthinking proposals
from the floor OF the House adopted
by mere ma ajorlty Of the little group
Of our legislators in the House who
show an interest. friendly or hostile.
in District concerns by habitual pres
ence in the House on District day.
Under it's vicious influence the rule
seems to say in effect that in action
upon appropriation bills no substan.
tive legislation can be disobcyed IN.
less Uncle Sam repudates some finan.
cial obligation or otherwise makes
money by the change.
The rule thus miSapplied. while bar.
ring equitable increases In appropria.
ton, facilitates the denial or eyasian
of legal indebtedness: IL invites viola.
tion with good or bad motive of exist.
ing substantive law: and 1t tennpts to
the reputation Of Just debt.
~ Tnfairness In Respect 10 surplus.
Obj In appropriaffns for National
Capital purposes the Districts nve
millions OF surplus 1t robbed this fine
action by Congress Of much Of its
merit.
IL caused reputation Of equitable
contribution by the United States in
appfoprlating and expending the Dis.
irict's accumulated treasury surplus.
The tax money creating this surplus
was collected by authority Of the
halfand. half Jaw solely To apply upon
the Districts half Of District appro,
pria lions. Whenever II came 10 be
expended 1t would be equitable To
spend IL under the halfandhaIf law,
the United States duplicating II.
Under the demoraliZng influence OF
the lump-snm payment practice the
surplus has been expended without
participation by the Nation under any
percentage of obligation 10 enlarge the
surplus fund for the upbuilding of tho
Capital Decision that the tax sur
plus. collected under the $3.50 law,
existed unavoidably involved the de.
/ csion that proportIonate payment
| by the Nation was equtahiy due
| whenever the tax surplus should be
expended, i!ut the lump sum pay.
ment practice. AN applied. repudlated
this equity.
Tnints With Unfairness Expenditures
! for Parks.
tcl The Itanp.sum payment expert.
nent. m practically applied, threatens
to convert the Park Commission law
from benefit nnd u blessing 10 the
| &Hftuuat fanita al community intn "a
curse.
! On it's fnce the National Capital
| Park and Planning Commission law
IN broadly national. Tho terms pf the
law suRSeht tho patriotic intofeat in II
10 The extent nf IA cent a year conttt
| bntlDh of every man, woman und
child in the iiepuhlic The title 10 all
| The iaiti purchased by the Park Com.
mission is vested in ths United States
! fhs iatk Commission raH under II
pu' chase land In adjacent Maryland
ard Virginia IA we'll aa III the Dis
| trict
| The annual appropriation of more
thhh u million dollars a year, author
l@eh hs supplemebtai aud eSifaott
nary cgpendiiiifeh by The District nf
Columbia Park Commission law, are
directed by The law itself 10 he pa hi
| i'Jlil tIH irktHttHN III tUE tFfbiliti
t"sbinba and the general funds OF The
Treasury In the sanie srdpartian az
hh"r eKpenhen nf The District at Go
iuinh!a "
The current ratio was ard II do-ib,
hAtd in The substantive Law hy the
| hew organic act of 1879, ana stlll ln,
tepea led The Mhupsn 10 exceptions tn
lhu 80 40 ratio involved In The tempo,
| tary Inmp.pa ytnent plan ar iDah. 1870,
int3 and 1929 merely suspend The sub
| rinntive law af taaa tar Tho SnAi dtr.
lhH which the exceptions apply aud dn
nnt iepnai ~ pnrmn nenily amend ths
! substantive law
| The Uimn. sum payment Ulhni by
| ignoring The laws specific direction nI
a 30 40 dlvisiun nj The 1nht ana hy
failing 10 make "a specific inefeeaa nt
the limpa,lm payment 90 satisfy the
| laws direction nf national 40 pel
drHt contribution, has practically
thrown iha whole rnat nf l'atk Com
uishjon expenditures up0n The local
! taxpayers II has converted N Hne
wtss, br0adls naitanai project, whiei,
The seit,.ieeslsed District eHti,usiaatt
eas.y ind1raad. intD M unlust and un,
sndurahts increase NJ tlls laeal tas
Vayers' taN burden, against which the
h,lnsaed District taxpayer ttRnrnusl,
nralsaia, II Congress viii this Ynal
| merely cease Ia mflln into The iilstriei
| ,un, apriaiion bill The annual lump
papmeni eseentinn IN practice 10 tho
40 40 prupysinn NJ substantive law, and
l.. A q