Evening star., 1928-03-11
Fair Discussion Needed.

Representative Beers of PENNSYLVANIA
chairman OF q subcommittee of the
House District committee. has promised
early hearings. perhaps to begin this
week. on the Zihlman resolution pro.
yiding for periodic studies Of the fiscal
relations between the Federal and Dis
trict governments. Some changes In
the bill have been suggested by the
District Commissioners and the Citi-
Gems Advisory Council, but in principle
1t is widely Endorsed. Hearings on the
measure and report to the House
should not be further delayed. The
present session Of Congress has already
yun half its course. The Zihlman pro-
posal will meet some opposition in the
House. and its consideration should be
begun while there remains time for de-
Lucrative action.
A strong argument for the Zihlman
resolution is found In the report OF
the House appropriations committee on
the District bill last month. The
amount that should be contributed by
the Federal Government" the report
said, should be reached by a fair con-
sideration OF the sum total Of just
needs OF the District Of Columbia ana
the payment OF a rate OF tax by the
property owners which is comparable
to that paid in other cities OF q similar
size, giving consideration. of course. to
the added advantages enjoyed by the
people Of the District Of Columbia un-
Ger the privilege OF residence In the
Capital City. The current tax rate
In the District upon real estate and
tangible personal property is si.70. The
estimates OF appropriation that were
submitted to Congress for the fiscal
year 1929 are based upon
the same rate This rate Is lower than
the tax rate In comparable cities"
The argument is a good one for the
Zihlman resolution because 1t indicates
the method OF reasoning which has
made such q muddled mess Of fiscal re-
lations between the Federal and Dis
trict governments. The taxpayers Of
the District are not willing to conclude,
with the appropriations committee OF
the House. that q low tax rate means
that they are fairly taxed. They can
demonstrate before an impartial body
that the District tax rate Is only q part
OF the truth. and that the whole, truth
mill rsrnva that s3,A txnwA San~a q Hnvn -
excessive taxation, not undertaxation.
The taxpayers Of the District are not
willing TO admit that the Commission
ers' estimates Of District needs which
can be raised By local tax revenue
plus az arbitrary lump sum represent
the real or the just needs Of the Dis
trict. They are not willing to admit
that the responsibility for Capital de-
velopmen. rests upon the shoulders Of
the unrepresented citizens OF the Dis
trict
woodrow Wilson once wrote: dis
cission is the greatest of all reform
srs. II rat!onalizes everything 1t
touches. It robs principles OF any false
sanctity they may possess and throws
them back on their reasonableness. II
they have no reasonableness. It ruth
less!y curses them out Of existence and
SETS up its own conclusions in their
sssad-" The reason the District is be-
hind the Zihlman resolution Is that 1t
snords en- opportunity for discussion
Of situation that is becoming intol-
srab.e. The District believes that fair
discussion viii win its case. The op-
portunity for this fair discussion should
not b. denied.