Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-22
CONGRESS- FINANCE
PLAN FOR DISTRICT
ASSAILED IN HOUSE

Continued From First Page)
what I may take the liberty of calling
q novel proposition, namely, that the in
terests Of the taxpayers are not so
woven inevitably with the problems Of
obtaining gratuities, as In obtaining JUS
tice. BY this I mean that they ought
not to be taxed to raise moneys which
are not spent for their benefits and the
benefit of the District.
Here is the outstanding injustice in
congressional handling of the District
budget. For years the tax rate has
been arbitrarily set at certain figure
and the income derived has not been
spent, but has been converted into the
Federal Treasury, where it has lain idle
and profltless to the taxpayers.
This naladministration Of the fiscal
relations Of the District has been Of
long standing. BY 1925, $5,257, 528.75
serve, and 1t required the act Of Con-
gress of February 2. 1925, to release 1t
and make 1t available for public schools
and parks.
THE next year the same thing hap
pened. A new dormant reserve was
started because the moneys raised by
taxation were not spent and were COW
cred into the Federal Treasury, with
out benefit to any one except to swell
the daily balances of the Federal Gov
eminent. The next year the same
thing happened and so on from year
to year, so that on June 80. 1928, there
was lying idle in this dormant fund
$6,200,000 of the taxpayers money from
which they never received cent of
benefit. If this condition was not due
oh oil ateI.A II
finances of the District, 1t might be
very justly denounced as a downright
fraud on the taxpayers.
Verify, congressional meddling with
District finances has made stepfathers
of US all.
"On July /, 1929, this excess or
surplus OF unused funds will have been
increased another million dollars and
by July /, 1880, under even the appro-
prtations of the current bill there will
be a further augmentation of this I'M
used income of $1,726,000, making a
total of $8,926,o00.
Large Unused Balance.
"Reserving out of this sum 1000 900
as the amount required to be held in
reserve under the act of 1922 for the
obligations Of the pay-as-you-go policy
and further million dollars to meet
deficiencies and supplementary esti-
mates. there will be lying in the Treas
ury on July /, 1880, the end of the
period covered by the present appropri-
alton bill, an unused balance of So $685.
000 or nearly 100000.
with this unused balance in pros
pect, what occasion Is there to scrimp
and pinch and deprive the Capital of
the Nation of the sanitary precautions
necessary to assure the health of over
a half million people?
What apology can be made to the
world for the existence of 3,l78 open
privies polluting the atmosphere Of a
civilized city?
What excuse can be made for in
sufficient sewers in Rock Greek Park.
so that every heavy rain causes them
to overflow their repulsive drainage
into that beautiful stream that Is the
Of the children Of this
What excuse can be made to the
parents Of 5000 children In 221 part
time classes in our public schools?
What excuse Is there for the de-
fective paving and lighting of the
streets Of the city. whose condition
would shame the capital of the most
backward nation?"