Evening star., 1928-05-17
HOUSE REAFF|RMS
LUMP SUM STAND
BY 286-TO-55 VOTE
Action Follows Petitions
From Citizens Opposing
$4,000, 900 Appropriation.
GRIFFIN MAKES PROTEST
AGAINST 'PICAYUNE' PLAN
New Yorker Insists Colleagues Do
Not Understand the
Situation.

Situation.
BY a vote of 2S6 to SIS the House this
afternoon instructed its cofferees on
the District appropriation bill further
to insist upon its provisions for the
$4,000, 600 iump-Sum appropriation as
against the 60-40 proportion amendment
which the Senate substituted in the ap-
preparation bill.
This is now the only point of differ
ence between the House and Senate,
as the House today concurred with the
Senate in all other amendments as re-
ported by the House confereeS.
Immediately after this vote was an
nounced Representative Griffin, Demo-
crat. of New York, the minority House
conferee, said: The vote has been taken,
but / insist that the matter was not
presented in such a way that the House
Is acquainted with the actual situation.
The Senate conferees did not refuse
TO Weld on the 60-40 provision. but
some of them were ready to accept
one-third to two-thirds proportion and
some members of the conference were
ready to accept as low as q per cent
to IS per cent"
Petitions Presented.
Petitions signed by spokesmen for
virtually all representative groups OF
washington citizens, assuring Con-
gress they would rather see the District
appropriation bill fail than have the
S9, 100000 lump sum continue were
presented today as the conferees pre-
pared to go before the House and SEN
ate for further instructions on the rs
cal relations problem.
After long weeks of discussion in ex-
ecutive session the conferees announced
late yesterday that. while they had
worked out their differences over the
detailed provisions Of the city's annual
supply measure. they were still at odds
on the all-important question OF how
the burden of maintaining the Ma
tional CAPITAL should be apportioneo
between the Federal and District Gov
ernments.
Griffin Makes Protest.
Earnest protest against the 100000
lump-sum plan, with plea 10 members
OF Congress to deal financially with the
National Capital as q matter OF pride
and not IN a ''picavune" way, was
voiced IN the House today by Repre-
sentative Griffin Of New York. minority
member of the House conferees on the
District appropriation bilL
After Z careful analysis Of the fiscal
Situakion between the Federal Govern
Fnent and the Municipal Government,
Mr Griffin presented table showing
that in 1922 the Federal Government
had carried approximately 1925 per
cent Of the cost Of maintaining and de-
veloping the Capital City and that this /
percentage had been reduced until for
1922 it is approximately 28.5 per cent.
The chief objection to this Is its
aspect Of permanency and absolute
ness" said Mr.. Griffin. Its effect Is
also felt inevitably in the making up
of each years estimates, its tendency
being to cramp and retard development
Of the schools, highway and park pro-
grams.
L am OF the opinion that the Federal
contribution should not be limited or
bound by an tnexorable formula. either
cn a percentage or On a lump sum basis.
but should vary each year in accordance
with the work to be accomplished, TAX
ing into consideration the ratio between
strictly Federal and strictly District i'm
pr0yesnents. and also making allowance
for the fact that this is the Capital OF
the Nation, IN which every American
takes a profound pride: and IN arriving
a
United States should not take small
or picaylane attitude, but do everything
IN its power 10 promote its development
into the most beautiful capital Of the
world"
In announcing the intention Of the
coufereeg TO report back TO their re-
Epectiye houses inability to agree on the
division Of expense, Senator Phipps,
Republican, Of Colorado made public
the plea of the legislation committee
Of the executive committee Of the Cits-
gems Joint Committee On Fiscal Re-
lattong, advising Congress that "socn-
er than accept the contribution Of
So 900 900 only for the upkeeD Of the
District Of Columbia. this committee Is
willing that the appropriation bill shall
fail"
Measure Totals S35.625,20s.
This plea, signed by the heads Of the
largest trade, civic and other groups IN
the city. was backed up by separate
letter from the executive committee Of
the Washington Board Of Trade, voicing
the same general sentiment, and point
Ing out that this organization repre-
eents $500 Of the leading business and
professional men of the city, upon
whom falls by, far the largest burden Of
local taxation
After adjusting pTaet1aily ali OF the
detailed items that were In dispute the
conferees have worked out measure
totaIirg SGT .e25 ,20S. As the bill passed
the House IL carried S37 7.059,035 The
Senate raised the total 10 s3s Isl AzS
Through a series Of compromises the
cODferees arrived at 4 new total about
midway between the action of the two
Houses The final figure Of S37 SIS .20D
is 1856. .l1a more than the House oTigf~
naIIy voted and $3.50. .220 less than the
Senate had allowed
On the outstanding issue Of app0r~
fi0ning the cost the House repeated its
practice Of the last few years ~ putting
forward the ~ 900 coo lump sum. When
the bill reached the Senate that body,
oy d decisive vote, sustained the appeal
Of organized Washington for return
10 the G0y40 ratio fixed by substantive
Law ia 1922 and never repealed. Six
weeks ~ conference failed " bring a
settlement of the issue.
The test op FesubmlGslon IL expected
70 come first Ia the House, where Rep
reseDtatlve Simmons. Republican. of
Nebraska is likely 70 call upo the con-
ference report This afternoon. In the
Senate the question viii De submitted
oy Senator Phipps. who with Senators
Jones, IsepubIiean. of Washington And
Glass. Democrat, of Virginia have eil+
deagored IN conference 70 obtain al
adjustment Of the fiscal relations
s3eat12eyfs