Evening star., 1928-05-18
Fiscal Equity Only Postponed.

The House has sustained the lump
sum nine millions payment by the Ma
ton toward meeting its obligation OF
Capital maintenance and development;
and rather than inflict upon the Dis
trict the disaster of the death OF the
pending District appropriations bill the
Senate has yielded. The House con-
ferees have made good the threat that
If the Senate insisted upon the shght-
est alteration in word or figure of the
House provision in respect to fiscal re-
lstions the whole bill would be killed.
washington is gratefully appreciative
of the action OF the Senate. under the
vigorous and able leadership of Sena-
tor Phiups in making this year an
urgent, vital issue of the KIND ano
amount of the national payment
toward capital maintenance and de-
yelopment, and in sustaining the DIS
tr,ct,s pIea for fiscal fair play by
more than two-thirds vote. Washhg-
ton hopes that the Senate VIII at the
next session renew this struggle lor
Ascal equity with the same inspiring
viror that has characterized It's enOF'
this year.
The House conferees refused to con-
slider any proposition OF tempotaf!
ron,nrnmise even in the figures OF lump
SIR, payment. It is incredible that the
House viii continue indefinitely to hold
the indefensfble position that 1t VIII
limit the amount and kind OF the Ma
tions Capital contribution and nx as
unalterable its decision in this matter,
ignoring The Senate as co-ordinate
branch Of Congress. II is also increo-
fble that the House viii indefinitely
continue to disregard the local commu-
nitys petition that consideration oe
ssven 10 the gross inequities resulting
from the nine-million lump-sum pay
ment practice and to compromise sug-
sestions Of the partial cure OF these
evils.
washington has petitioned Congress
IN that the sixty-forty ratio De SUD-
stitated for the lump-sum payment; I'd
that II this substitution cannot be
affected ia the short time remaining OF
the present session the fiscal issue De
submitted to joint commission to re-
port at the next session, and CD that
70 correct the grossest inequities OF the
iump-sum appropriation practice, while
ii II permitted temporarily to prevail,
the amount Of the lump-sum payment
be substantially increased. The reasons
for these items Of petition are set forth
In detail In argumentatiye supplements
70 the petition.
Washington has amplified its conten-
tion that as long as lump-sum pay
ment is the appropriation practice tenn
porariiy on annual appropriation acts
immediate correction should be made
Of some of its grosser and more obvious
iniustices
II petitions as follows:
TO preyent giaring inequIty, your Pc
fitioners therefore urge for reasons
stated I'm the arguments hereto attached
zs part 81 TINS peb1t0ns tnAt N0bkfcns
should t1) increase substantially. both
on general and specific grounds, the
baxie Iump-sum payment: t21 exclude
great National or semi National prei-
ecfs frem the District bill and finance
them On some ether supply bill, 70
wording the items thus excluded as 10
set ferfh the exact method Of finane-
ing I'm relation 10 the amounts Of con-
tFfbutien by Nation and Capital that
IL thought to be just, or 49, provide
for . LEGAL ~ well as q national max
imum Of contribution, on the assump-
tion that II is the impotent local part
Der who alone needs this protection, or
~, by referendum or otherwise, permit
the local taxpayers 70 have some effee-
tive say In regard 10 the amount Of local
taxes ana the purposes for which the
fax naeney is 70 be expended.
With only the right Of petition left
/. 10 1t the Capital community viii APP
peal with confidence al the next ses-
sion 20 It's legislators In both branches
Of Congress for fair play. for financial
equity and for Just and even sympa-
A@x1k3 consideration Of its petition.