Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
Simmons EXPLAINS
PERCENTAGE VIEW
Quotes Letter From Donovan
to Show Methods of
Calculation.

OlalTulan summons OF the 1OuSi
subcommittee on District appropria
tons, under extension of remarks IL
the Congressional Record, continues tn,
controversy regarding fiscal relations
between the District of Columbia anC
the Federal Government and the pro.
portion OF the United States contribu.
ton to the support of the Nations
Capital. He includes a letter from Dis.
trict Auditor Daniel j. Donovan writer
on Mr.. Simmons request In support oil
Mr.. Simmons statement to the House
some days ago that I'VE are paying thi:
year approximately % per cent of the
cost Of running the municipal govern
ment in the District of Columbia out oil
Federal funds"
In this statement Mr.. Simmons was
contradicting a statement made in ar
editorial in The Evening Star that
In the 1880 appropriations previously
estimated by Mr.. Donovan at $44,965,-
600. the Federal Government will be
paying 20 per cent plus of the total
Mr.. Simmons said he was making the
statement for the enlightenment OF
some 20 new members of Congress who
are not familiar with the fiscal rela-
tons controversy.
Answer to Request.
The letter from Auditor Donovan
follows:
MY Dear Congressman Simmons
This letter Is furnished you in compli-
ance with your request of me over the
telephone Saturday that 1 advise you
OF the percentage proportion of divisible
appropriations carried in the District
OF Columbia appropriation act for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1880, repre-
scented by the payment of $9,000,00 by
the United States, plus certain miscel-
laneouS revenues released to and for
the beneficial use of the District of Co
lumbia by the United States under the
lump-sum plan.
The appropriations carried in the
District Of Columbia appropriation act
for the fiscal year 1890 for all pur.
poses total $38, 772, SIS. Included In
this amount are appropriations charg.
able to special funds and which under
governing law would not be payable ir
any part by the United States If 6O-4(
or any other percentage plan of appro-
priating for the District of Columbis
were in effect during that fiscal year
The appropriations referred to are those
chargeable to the gasoline-tax fund
amounting to $1,658, 500, and appropri-
amounting to 81, 4s5, $50. The law ere.
ating the gasoline-tax fund provides
that It shall be made up of the 2-ceni
tax paid on motor-vehicle fuel imported
into the District of Columbia and &C.
cretions from assessments under the
Borland law, and shall be available fol-
appropriation by Congress exclusively
Tor road and street improvement and
repair. The law with respect to the
water service provides that 1t shall be a
seif-sustaining branch of the govern.
inent Of the District of Columbia. Fol
these reasons, even on the assumption
that percentage plan of appropriation
were in effect at this time or in the
next fiscal year, appropriations of this
character would not be considered as oil
. Invisible nature: that is to say. pay
able in any part by the United States
100000 Reimbursement.
''The District of Columbia appropri-
alton act for the fiscal year 1880 also
contains provision for the reimburse
lnent by the District of Columbia to the
United States Of 100000 as the Dis
strictis part Of the cost of financing the
liability Ofssthe United States to the
employees retirement and disability
fund. It is now believed that this item
could properly be considered as a di-
plan Of appropriation liability.
"Deducting the gasoline tax and
water funds appropriations for the fiscal
year 1880 from the total appropriations
Of $3S,172, SIS, the remainder of $685.
61S,765 represents what would be con-
Stdered as appropriations Invisible be-
tween the United States and the Dis
.trict Of Columbia under 60-40 or other
the District. If only the $4,000, 900 to
be paid by the United States In 1890
toward financing appropriations for that
year be considered, the proportion OF
the total Invisible appropriations for
1880 represented by that sum would be
.25,267 per cent. Excluding also the
item Of $500, 1000 to which reference has
been made from the total of the di-
visible appropriations, and considering
the United States would be 25.482 per
fcent.
But under the lunp-sum plan the
United States has released to and for
the beneficial use of the District of Co
1umbia certain miscellaneous revenues,
estimated for the fiscal year 1880 at
$685., 900; SO that in determining the
real Federal participation or representa-
ton in the 1880 Invisible appropria-
tons under the lump-sum plan, this
amount should be taken into considera-
ton in addition to the 100000 Con-
sidered on this basis, the proportion of
District Of Columbia appropriations for
1880 by Federal assistance would be
1876 per cent, and excluding the item
OF $500, 900 referred to, 28.2l4 per cent.
I trust that the foregoing supplies
the information which you requested
me to furnish you"
In his remarks for the Record, Mr.
Simmons accused The Star in its use
Of the sentence: 1.-THE Star has said
that according to Auditor Donovan's
estimates the nine-million lump sum
payment will for 1880 be 20 plus per
cent Of the total budget''-of having
sought to convey the impression that
Auditor Donovan estimated the Fed
eral contribution at 20 per cent.