Evening star., 1928-03-28
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Continued from First Page)
District as TO the main course TO be
pursued, Its inhabitants are largely
/ Government employees and officeholderS
many of whom maintain a legal resi-
dence elsewhere, but all OF whom con-
cur in the plan of the fathers to make
/, washington one of the most beautiful
spots in America and in the world.
Establishes Shrine.
This program does not have as us
primary purpose the pleasure or the
amusement Of tho curiosity seeker thf
idle visitor. or even the lover OF beauty
It's object is to establish III the heart ol
the country a sacred shrine, at whicr
our people may renew their VOWS oi
! citizenship and conSecrate once more
their love and devotion to their native
! land. The program is needed III oroel
/ that the Government may Conduct JUS
/ important business midst scemly sur
ro,ndingS. It Is required in order that
/ IN, Capital OF the United States may
present - the nations of the world
who send their representatives mere
that simple but impressive dignity
which b2fits a country as great ana
powerful as ours
President Coolidge said in message to
Congress in December. 1926, concern
ing the baautifiCatiOn of the Capital,
Senator Phipps pointed out that II
necessarily follows that expenditures for
public improvements in Washington
have been high as compared with COM
mUniticS OF the same population, ana
that such expenditures must be con-
tinus6 in the future
Percentages Fixed.
After recalling that for more than 40
years. from 1878 TO 1921, the Capital
was maintained on a 5000 basis. the
Colorado Senator said in 1922, Congress
changed the proportion and by subStan-
tive law established the 60-40 plan. he
pointed out that these percentages, IKE
The appropriations. have been fixed by
the National LEGISLATURE lin which the
citizens Of washington have no voice.
Senator PhippS said the total funds
available during this period ranged from
$50. 500. 900 to $27,200000 and that un-
der the new plan the United states
contributed from Sa0Sl 900 to Sl0,162.-
600 or an average of S9237 600 per
wear.
Senator Phipps paused to tell the
Senate how surplus Of District reVe-
nue. accumulated during and following
the war and of the difficulty eXpe-
rienccd by local citizens in obtaining
proper benefits from the money paid
BY them as taxpayers into the unlteo
states Treasury. He recalled that foF
several wears Congress refused to rec
oonize the Justice Of claim whlch
he said should have been obvious sand
that even now the District has not re-
F..T nf
which are not being matched by tn
United States on the same $3.50 basis
under which they we're collected,
Law Held Ignored.
Senator phipps then came down 10
the fiscal wear 1925. whsn, he declared,
the Law OF 1922 establishing the 60-40
plan was ignored by Congress and
rendered imperative by the annual
provision OF a lump sum contribution
Of $4,000 900 on the part Of the Fed
eral Government, plus a proportion OF
certain miscellaneous revenues which,
under this fiscal arrangement. The
United States has released TO the Dis
trict OF Columbia Since that time
total appropriations have ranged from
s3I.I70. 600 to s34394, ,000 and the Ma
tionsl Government has contributed
onlv $4,000 900 a year in round figures"
Senator Phipps then quoted the sub
stantive Law establishing the 60-40 plan.
emphasizing the provision which re-
auired the District 10 raise a sufficient
surplus fund to be able to operate on
a cash basis within five years and pro-
viding for a tax rate based on a full
value assessment
Almost any business man will agree
with me-" Senator Phipps observed,
that these provisions instead Of be-
ing leniert. are rather harsh If any,
thing, especially when you take into
consideration the fact that there was
levied also under the provisions of the
act a tax on intangible personal prop
erty Of fYe-tenths Of per cent Of the
fun market value thereof Yet the sub
sEantive law has been ignored and dis
regarded since 1925, although it has
never been repealed. should not be re-
pealed and in my humble opinion, can
not be repealed.
Lump sum Substituted.
By legislative indirection there has
been substituted for the fixed ratio of
60-4O, which percentage was inserted
upon insistence Of certain members Of
Congress for change and accepted bv
the entire Congress and the people Of
iHr DlSlTlcL IN ROOo IaIln a. peFma-
nent fiscal poiicy--there has been sub
stituted. say. an annual lump sum
contribution Of approximately $4,000 900
which has remained stationary while
the expenses Of administration Of the
District and the many millions paid
annually by District taxpayers have
grown by leaps and bounds.
Senator Pnipps asserted that aside
from the legal situation which ] be-