Evening star., 1928-03-28

and civilian mir activities OF the uniteo
States. $l.500,000,
Farmers Produce Market, 100000
to Sl,000,000. =,
Main and intercepting sewers 81
| 8iO. 900 ,.
Sewer service for houses now wltl-
out same. $4000000.
site and construction or lnclneTaIo'S
for city refuse, $650,000.
Garage and shop for city reiuSe
division. $l50000.
Needed bridges, 81 1861 600.
Land and buildings for municipal
center $40 600 900. This Is needed be-
cause the present building and site Is
to be taken over by the United states
Extension OF streets and avenues
81. 900 900. ,.,,.
extension program for free public
'' Hospitals n and industrial homes
| a., $50, 600, ,-..
"Old cell wings OF District Jail. which
| have been condemned. S50o,000.
! "public schoolS-5-year building pro-
gram. Sl1 100000
elimination Of grads crossings
! $500. 600
None Are Unreasonable.
"None Of these proposed expenditures
are for unreasonable purposes In TACT
American citizens generally Will De
| shocked to learn that Washington Is SO
far behind In its school program. It's
sewerage system. its street and library
development, that 1t will require years
to secure the Improvements actually
needed for the purpose at this time, and
that Congress still refuses to make the
necessary appropriations.
stsTbn nicfrirt Com SiOnprg also FUR
niSh a list of desirable Improvements
which will soon become actual needs.
These include water front development,
bridges and parks--the total cost being
placed at an additional 500. 200 900
But it NAV be argued that this de-
plorable condition Is not the fault OF
the lump sum. Unquestionably. the re-
sponSibility lies at the door Of Con-
gress. and maintain that 1t can largely
be traced to the lump-sum system.
which was advanced as cure-all for
the Districts Ills and which has proved
to be q quack remedy indeed. The
situation is due to a dispoadcn pre-
vailing In Congress for the last 10 years
to assess against the District taxpayer
all that the traffic will bear and 10 re-
duce gradually the contribution of the
Federal Government until it reaches the
vanishing point
Plan Has Failed"
Certainly conditions are not better
than they were when the lump-Sum eX-
pertinent was inaugurated The plan
has failed, and the sooner COngress
realizes It, the better 1t will be for
every one. Dissatisfaction Is genera
and properly So The solution Is a
return to that orderly system from
Al. IL Il. tod
system which charges proper pro-
governments, local and national which
avoids confusion. which enables plans
TO be made for the future and WORKS
Justice both TO the taxpayers OF Wash
ington and the other taxpayers through
out the United States.
Having shown that In principle and
practice the lump-Sum plan Is deadly
poison In The vitals of the city govern
ment. l will discuss briefly the main
argument against the $3.50 or 60-40
program Of proportionate contributions.
Some members Of Congress say In
effect We admit that the substantive
law is being violated by US each year.
We admit that in theory there is no
justification for the ump-sum method.
We admit that. for this and other Tea-
secl~e the permanent Improvements
needed by its people But we take our
position squarely on one point--the
people of Washington. with all the priv
ilegeS they are supposed 10 enjoy as
residents OF the Nations Capitalize
not pay as much in taxes as the folks
back home II may be that the Dis
trict government Is run more economi-
cally than other large cities Of the coun-
try. II may be that there is less over
head and no graft Whatever the rea-
son. the people Of the United States
are entitled to the benfit OF that con-
dition rather than the people OF Wash
ington, and. until they pay as much or
more than the folks back home. they
have no cause for complaint. Until
then they are not going to get an ad-
ditional cent out of the United states
Government
HGids Promise False.