The Washington times., 1930-07-07
WORK STARTS
IN BETWEEN
SESSIONS
LongWorth to Choose 7 Men
Under Simmons Quiz Act;
Continue Lump Sum Fight


Speculation and concern existed
in civic circles of the National
Capital today over the makeup OF
q special House committee OF
seven members to conduct mid
summer investigation of the fiscal
relations between the Federal ana
District governments.
It is expected the personnel OF
this special committee will be an
nourced rom the office OF
Speaker Longworth within the
next few days. Under terms OF
the Simmons resolution, adopted
Just as the House was about to
adjourn sine die, the special House
committee is authorized to sit DUR
ing the recess of Congress, to com.
pei the production of books and
papers and the testimony OF wit
nesses, and to incur all necessary
expenses to determine and report
to the House whether the Federal
contribution to the Districts up
keep, year by year, should be So
600, 900, more or less.
Fight Continued
Appointment of such a House
committee means a continuation
at least for the next few months,
of the long controversy over the
5O-4O law and the $4,000, 600 Fed
eral lump sum" which latter pre-
vailed for five years.
It lis not claimed that the
House will have a packed jury"
but the fact is that the House
BY vote of 283 to 16. recently
decreed that the $9,OOO.O 600
Federal ALLEGATION is sufficient
and in debate preceding the vote
it was described as too much.
Out of a membership thus re-
corded the Speaker is supposedly
to select an unprecedented com
nittee of seven members not
only to give unprejudiced con.
sideration to the issue Of fiscal
relations but also to District tax
alton values.
The Simmons resolution went
through the House without a
word of debate and just after
the House had reluctantly yield
ed to the Senate on a compro-
mise of the lump sum" issue
as it related to the District
budget for the next fiscal year.
The House proposal was $9,O00,-
900 and mot one cent more" :"
The Senate proposition was Sl2,-
OOO, 900 or at least a compromise
of 100000 900. The $4,000, 900
compromise was reached Just a
few hours before Congress quit.
1880 "No Precedent"
Immediately thereafter, how
ever, Chairman Simmons, of the
District subcommittee of the
House Appropriations Committee,
put in his resolution for an in
vestigating committee OF the
House alone to sit during the
recess of Congress" 1t was unani-
mouSly adopted in the House and
Representative Cramton, M1chl-
gan. ranking Republican Of the
Appropriations Committee, warmly
informed the House that the
Sc, 100000 compromise had be-
hind it no logic and was not to
be construed as setting prece-
dent" Cramton intimated, as he
had in previous speeches and pri-
vate conversation, that the next
District appropriation bill proba-
bly would carry an amount much
tess than $9,OOO.0O0 as Federal
donation to the Capital.
Representative Holiday, Illinois,
Who is to succeed Mr.. Simmons as
district subcommittee chairman,
when Simmons takes over the Ag'
ricultural subcommittee chairman
ship. AYERS that probably $5,0OO.-
900 or $6,000.O00 is sufficient for
the Federal Treasury to dole out
to the District. Mr.. Holiday
seems more determined even than
Simmons on this point.
Controversy Acute
The fiscal relations contro-
versy is as acute as ever. The
Simmons resolution went through
too late for the Speaker to name
the investigating board. but <he
House by vote had indicated it
before that it would have nothing
to do with appointment of an in
dependent or quasi-independent
investigating board and turned
thumbs down" on the resolu-
tions of Senators Jones. Washing
ton, and Bingham. Connecticut.
and Representative Moore, Vir-
ginia, for such a board, composed
of Government officials, mem
bers of Congress and District
citizens.
From the District standpoint
the outcome is regarded poor.
Representative Simmons and Rep
reSentative Holiday would not
only like an inquiry into existing
fiscal relations but broadened
inquiry into the general subject Of
taxation in the Capital and the
possible application of a special
income and inheritance tax on
District residents. as well as a
boost in rates of taxation on their
real estate and personal property
holdings.