Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-12
|CAPPER THINKS D. c.
DUE GREATER SUM
Says Federal Payment of
100000 Does Not
Cover Responsibility.

Chairman Capper of the Senate Dis
trict committee believes that a $9,000,000
lump sum does not adequately cover the
responsibility of the Federal Govern
ment toward the upkeep of the National
Capital in view of facts contained in the
report of the Bureau of Efficiency on
fiscal relations.
Senator Capper feels that if, as stated
by the Efficiency Bureau, the Federal
Governments bill would be $7,440, ,939,
If 1t paid property taxes on its holdings,
then the difference between that sum
and its $9000,00 contribution does not
fairly represent the general obligation Of
City.
Senator Capper called attention to
the fact that because this is the Ma
tional Capital. Washington has to make
many municipal expenditures in order
to keep the city more attractive than
otherwise would be the case. He pointed
out that the District must give fire and
police protection to Federal property.
1t is Senator Cappers opinion that
the Federal Government has an obli-
cation to improve and beautify the Ma
tional Capital over and above the
amount it would actually have to pay
II United States property here were on
a taxable basis.
The municipal finance committee of
the Washington Board of Trade feels
that the conclusions drawn by the bu-
reau completely sustain the two main
points which it has been trying to i'm
press on Congress. Joshua Evans, jr., is
the chairman of the committee. A
statement issued by the committee fol-
lows:
1.-The municipal finance committee
Of the Washington Board of Trade,
after studying the rather meager por-
ton of the Bureau of Eficiency's report
ton, feels that the conclusions drawn
by the bureau completely sustain the
two main points with which the COM
mittee has consistently tried to impress
Congress. The bureau in its conclusion
repeats these two points almost word
for word:
/. THAT the solution Of the fiscal
relation problem may lie in determining
the Government liability toward the
cost of operation and maintenance Of
the Capital City along two lines; namely
%, its tax liability as municipal tax
payer OF washington in connection with
the ordinary costs of Government to the
municipality, and (2), its liability on
account of the loss of revenue and on
account of extraordinary expenditures
cccaSioned by the fact that Washington
Is the National Capital"
This is the contention of the Board
of Trade, and the sum Of 81 $50 900 over
and above its bare responsibility as
taxpayer, according to the bureaus fig
ureS, which is indicated in the report
as the Federal Governments share in
the development of Washington, is
greatly insufficient. the committee
thinks. Even If we leave out such con-
tentionS as rapidly developing Federal
areas due to the extraordinary Gevel-
opment of this community as Federal
City, the economic ability of the nom
industrial and non commercial Capital
which to us would even throw greater
responsibility upon the Federal Gov
ernment, it Is inconceivable that the
pople of this. the richest country in the
world, only desires to expend 81 1,500,000
on their Nations Capital.
I'VE feel that the facts published so
far preclude us from going into the
methods of computation on the part of
the Bureau of Efficiency which we, no
doubt, will have an opportunity to look
into.
The real question is as set forth
IN the bureaus report, does the Gov
ernment merely regard itself as tax
payer to the District of Columbia or
as the guardian and trustee of the
American peoples Capital with full
responsibility for its development, ac-
cording to their wishes.