Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-07
Instructing the Inquirers.

HNA N~VAAS bAC ANU u1A "a D.
An inquiry into the equities of Fed.
eral-District fiscal relations by a House
Of Representatives committee alone will
be helpful if it is conducted without
prejudice and without reference to the
attitude which the House has main.
tanned for several years. On the other
hand. it will be actually harmful. lead
ing to future blockades between the two
houses of Congress if it starts upon the
hypothesis that the nine-million lump
sum is a generous gratuity, to which the
District is not entitled.
On Thursday last Immediately after
the adoption of the compromise con-
ference report, which effected the final
passage Of the appropriation bill, and
the adoption of the resolution provid-
ing for the appointment of fact
finding committee" of House members
Representative Cramton, speaking by
unanimous consent, said:
Here in the closing minutes of the
session, the Senate having taken the
unprecedented position of refusing to
pass continuing resolution in case of
an appropriation bill deadlocked, and in
order that the business of the District
OF Columbia may proceed in an orderly
way, the House conferees have made
some concession in the way of an in
crease in the Federal contribution to
the expenses of the District of Column
'bia. The Senate asked an increase OF
100000. The conferees agreed to
one-half million dollars. 1t is true that
1t is a contribution of a half million
dollars from the Federal Treasury for
which no necessity whatever has been
shown. (Applause.) 1t is simply an ad-
dition to the surplus in the District
treasury. There is no logic back of it.
but the House conferees and the House
have wisely yielded a compromise, be-
cause all legislation is built up on COM
promises, even though they are not al
ways wise.
My purpose in rising is, first, to ex-
press my own personal appreciation of
the splendid services of the House con-
ferees and. second, to emphasize that
the compromise is purely compromise,
not recognition that there is any basis
Of logic or Justice for the increase.
(Applause) That being the case. it is
not a precedent; 1t does not mean that
in the future the House will agree to
$9,500,0oo, or even to 100000, as the
contribution of the Federal Government
TO the expenses of the District, but will
continue to safeguard the Federal Treas
ury. (Applause.)
These remarks, punctuated as they
were by applause" according to the
Congressional Record, do not encourage
much hope for q free, fair and i'm
partial inquiry by the House Committee
of Seven, soon to be named by the
Speaker. They may, indeed, be almost
regarded in the light of instructions to
the committee. Not content with con-
tinued ignoring Of the substantive law
which would have called for a Federal
contribution of s18,ooo,ooo instead of
100000, as the House proposed and al
most secured, nor content with beating
down the Senate's proposed $4,000, 900
to $9,500,000, the House, through its
spokesman and by its applause given to
his words declares war upon even the
$9,000,00 limit and serves notice, in ad-
vance Of any findings by the Committee
Of Seven, In advance even of its ap-
pointment, that the compromise is not
q precedent and that It is going to con-
tinue to defend the Federal Treasury
from the rapacity of the District.
Thus there is but faint prospect of
equity through the inquiry of the Com
mittee Of Seven, whatever the person
mel of that committee. But just as a
sporting proposition it would be inter-
esting to see committee named that
could and would approach the ques-
ton without prejudice, in a judicial
frame of mind, with a disposition to
read the record and to respect the law
and to have it report in accordance to
the House, favoring return to the fixed
ratio principle