Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-24

l
time classes and $500 in portable build.
ings are being robbed by Congress O
an education and that the House ap.
preparations committee has broken &
solemn pledge made to District en-.
ployeS last year through failure to in.
Guide in the bill now under consdera-
ton by the House the second years
quota or S165, 900 for salary increases
were made in the House late yesterday
by Representative Casey, Democrat, o!
Pennsylvania, member of the subcom-
mittee on District appropriations.
Responsibility for lack of adequate
sewers was among other shortcomings
in the District that Mr.. Casey aSsailed
in vigorous 40-minute speech. He de-
| nounced the system" in drafting the
appropriation bill, asserting that the
| Democratic members had not been con-
| suited.
He also charged that the subcom-
mittee had never been permitted. to
discuss the question of the lump-sum
! appropriation for the District He also
| emphasized an increased tax rate would
| be needed to care for needed improve
| ments.
Representative Holiday of Illinois
| supported his Republican colleague,
Chairman Simmons, who had earlier in
the day defended the 100000 lump
{ sum plan and emphasized progress be-
! ing made on the school building pro-
gram. Mr.. Holiday challenged the
statements made by the two Democratic
members of the subcommittee. Repre-
sentatives Griffin and Casey. The for
mer spoke Tuesday.
Casey Enlarges View.
Representative Casey said II, mort.
AS member of the subcommittee
charged with the responsibility of look
ing into the fiscal affairs of the Dis
trlct OF Columbia, feel it is my duty
10 give to the House SUCH information
as may have with reference to this
matter. desire to impress on the
minds Of the members of the House
that they should not be misled by the
statements made by the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Simmons, chairman of
the subcommittee, when he mentions
mat the committee did this or the COM
! mittee did that, or the committee
recommends this or the committee
recommends that. The fact is that as
Iar as l know the subcommittee had
very little TO do with the preparation
| OF this bill or the report accompanvino
| 1t that is now before YOU.
The first time I saw the bill or the
report was when appeared at a meet
ing OF the full committee on appropri-
atoms to report the bill to the House.
Inat IS equally true OF my colleague.
Mr.. Griffin of New York.
i feel that there is system grow
ing up in this House with reference to
THESE appropriation bills, and particu-
| larry with reference to this District bill.
that should be brought to the attention
| OF the House, SO that you may UNDER
stand just what it is.
i was present in the city all the
time during the hearings on this bill.
with the exception of two days, January
and 4.
Il know of no meeting. having been
called by the chairman of the SUBJ
committee to prepare the language that
was to go into the bill or the report. I
know OF no meeting where the members
OF the subcommittee were called together
to decide what items should or Should
not go into the bill. do not know who
wrote the bill. Neither do I know who
wrote the report. You have before YOU
Dill and a report accompanying it,
supposedly prepared by the subcom-
mlttee. The report recommends the
passage of the bill by the committee
L SIOCOI-
mittee never saw the bill or report until
yesterday.
Calls Lump Sum GueSSwOrk. i
The committees report would lead
you to believe, and SO would the state
mentS OF the distinguished chairman
OF the subcommittee, that the Subcom-
mittee had discussed this lump-sum ap-
preparation and had arrived at q con-
clusion upon it. The fact is that since
have been a member of the subcom-
mittee the subcommittee has never dis
cuSSed this question. They have never
been permitted to discuss it. am not
an advocate Of the 60-40 plan or any
| other similar plan, because do not
believe they are fair to the Federal
Government. I do not say that am
opposed to the lump-Sum proposition
| OF 100000. I do say that I do not
know whether 1t is right or not Such
investigation as have made into this
matter, the available information I
could get upon 1t, leads me to believe
| that the person who gueSseS at a lump
sum of 100000 may be correct, but
that he is no more correct than the
| man who would guess at lump sum
Of $l5,000.000 or $5,000,000. We SIM
| ply do not know, and while the present
law provides that We shall pay on the
60-40 basis, the law has been set aside
| by the Congress upon the theory that
| the lump sum would save the Federal
Treasury money, and because OF that
| it comes within the Holman rule.
much criticism has been made be-
cause of the report Of the Bureau OF
Efficiency upon this question, criticism
| by the citizens and the newspapers OF
the District of Columbia. I am not pre-
pared to say whether this criticism Is
| just or not, because I have not had
| the time to study the report as would
like to. believe the report Of the
Bureau Of Efficiency on the fiscal; rela-
lions between the District of Columbia
and the Federal Government Is some
| thing that should be welcomed by
everybody because of the first time to
my knowledge we have a concrete
| proposition laid before us by an i'm
| partial tribunal, which we can add to
or take from, and in this way we may
arrive at satisfactory and equitable
adjustment Of this troublesome question
| of the fiscal relations between the
Federal Government and the District
of Columbia. simply repeat that
do not know what the proper amount
should be. I say our subcommittee has
IlOL QlSCuSoCO ~, VIC NILC iiu0 PSAHlAIeCS
to discuss it, and I do not want thu
members of the House to understand
from what the distinguished chairman
of the subcommittee says in reference
to this matter, that his statement
carry with it the approval of myself
or my colleague on the subcommittee
Mr.. Griffin.
misunderstanding Is Found.
ct find, unfortunately, both for thu
Congress and the people of the Distric
of Columbia, that there is misunder
standing that should be cleared up
Congress seems TO be in the attitude
of being against everything that tn
people of the District of Columbis
want. This is unfortunate. Congress
,,,,dcrfnknc n nritici1a the nenfala of tn