Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-19
FISCAL RELATIONS
DATA COLLECTED
H. II. Rapp, Federal Expert,
Returns From New York
! After Study of City Costs.

Herbert II. Rapp, head of the &C
counting division of the United State'
Bureau of Eficiency. who is in charg.
of the bureaus investigation of the ta'
question and other fiscal affairs of tn.
District. is back in Washington today
after gathering comparative data relat'
ing to the municipal affairs of Rochester
and Buffalo. N Y This information
and that obtained III many other cities
il, the East and Middle West will be
used by Mr.. Rapp in preparmga report
uson the fiscal relationship existing be-
tween the District and Federal Govern
.nent for submission TO Congress and
the Bureau of the Budget in the Fall
p Y. Simmons. another expert of the
Efficiency Bureau. returned from New
York State with Mr. Rapp. They are
both working on the present inquiry,
and both are preparing to leave asam
for the field early next week 70 WISH
cities in Ohio, wisconsin ana Minnie
sofa.
VIII Speed Work.
I'm to the present time MFR. Rapp ana
Mr. Simmons have been travelling To-
rather. They have dug into the PROB
ler,s of municipal taxation ana costs III
baltimore, New York City. Albany
Rochester, Buffalo and other places IN
HE East. To make more rapid pIoS-
ress they win separate on the next TRIP,
each taking in different cues IN uie
Middle West. Among the cues u.as
win be visited in the immediate future
are Cleveland, Cincinnati Mli"auAee
and Minneapolis.
NJ Pam saws that much valuable
information has been obtained from
rities in New York State which nave
f7srsl problems similar to those OF WASH
:nrton and that this data should DC
,-eTv helnf,,l on analysing LEGAL STATISTICS
y Is TOO early to tell. Mr.. Rapp eN-
ne med what conclusions may be drawn
Erc,-, the data gathered in other cltieS
vvs,rr1 compared with the local statiStacS,
That win come later, he said. aItef al
the figures have been taouiateo ana
given careful study.
Mr.. Rapp is the official VINO conouct,
ed an investigation of the punlie scnooi
system of the District last year. ne
re0ort was regarded by the school ooaro
and the appropriations colln.esess 49,, ~ -
Congress as very valuable, and many OF
the suggestions which he made on be-
half of the Bureau of Efficiency for the
Improvement of the finances OF the iocai
schools were adopted.
Studies History Of Question.
The purpose of the present investlga-
an into the fiscal affairs OF the DIS
t..ct is to shed all the light possible
.s,.on the question of fair apportion-
r1ent of the expenses Of the District Pc
tween the Federal Government and the
neople Of washington, which Is sure 70
come before Congress again next VIM
ter. Mr.. Rapp, before visiting oener
cities. made q careful study OF the MS
torv Of this question, going back 70 the
tine when the $3.50 plan OF appcrtion-
ing local expenses was adopted
prior to the collection Of comparative
da.a and q thorough study OF all phases
of the problem. Mr.. Rapp IS carefully
refrainirg from expressing any opinion
as 70 the probable result Of the inquiry
IN fact. as he says himself, ne has no
.daa vet what the inquiry win show.
Ferbert D. Brown, chief OF the Bu-
reala Of Ediciency, under whose direcEion
AIr. Rapp is working; Mr.. Rapp himself.
Nr. Simmons and all other persons VINO
are assisting IN the inquiry fse anxious
Ia make It as scientifically accurate IS
Y,ossFhIe, ii the hope that Just basis
far District appropriations and the nx-
ing al local tax rate may be found.