Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-14
Petition and Argument Laid
Before Vice President and
Speaker by Committee.
SET FORTH DEMANDS
FOR FISCAL REFORMS
Unless Proportionate Share Is Re-
Established U. S. Allotment
Should Be Enlarged.

OOHSreSS was urged To-Day DY the CIT.
izens' Joint Committee on District OF
Columbia Fiscal Relations to restore
the 60-40 basis of fiscal relations be-
tween the District and Federal govern
ments, as provided in substantive law.
or to increase the lump sum in relation
to the increase in the District budget.
AS the Senate bill increases the lump
sum by 100000, the petition was, In
effect, plea that the Senate provision
be adopted by the conferees.
The plea was contained in a petition
submitted to Vice President Curtis and
Speaker Longworth of the House by a
delegation representing the Citizens
Joint Committee, headed by Edward r.
Colladay, chairman of the committee
and vice chairman of its executive COM
mittee. The others were George Pitt,
president of the Board of Trade, Ed
ward D. Shaw, executive secretary of
the Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION; Charles w. Darr, president of
the Washington Chamber of Commerce:
Charles I. Stengle, chairman of the
finance committee of the Federation
of Citizens Associations, and Robert j.
Cottrell, secretary Of the Citizens Joint
Committee.
Curtis Gives Opinion.
Vice President Curtis, the first to be
called on, told the delegation he would
see that the petition is properly pre-
sented" and declared that personally
he is in favor of a return to the $3.50
ratio of fiscal relations between the
Federal ard District governments.
While serving Kansas in the Senate,
Mr.. Curtis said, he was chairman for
several years of the committee which
had charge of the District appropria-
ton bin and he advocated then the
$3.50 principle. II am just as strong
believer now as I was then" he de-
share one-half of the expenses of the
Nations Capital" He later presented
the petition to the Senate. It was re-
ferred to the appropriations committee
In presenting the petition Mr.. Cola
day referred BRIEFLY to the inequities ex-,
listing under the present lump sum plan,
pointing out that in 1924, when the APP
preparation for the District amounted
to $4,000, 900, the Federal Government
contributed 100000, whereas the ap-
preparation bill for the 1881 fiscal year
carries total of s44,000,O 600, and the
House voted to have the Federal Gov
ernment contribute the same amount.
The Senate, however, he explained,
added 100000 to the Federal Gov
ernment's share.
Hopes Senate Will Be Firm.
II hope" Nh Colladay said, that
the Senate will stand firm on this in
crease when the District appropriation
bill goes into conference"
ION behalf of organized Washing
ton" Mr.. Colladay said in handing the
petition to the Vice President, IT am
delegated as head of this group to
present to you petition by the citizens
joint committee on District of Columbia
fiscal relations. In brief, we present q
petition to have the $4,000 900 lump
sum carried in the District appropria-
ton bill for 1891 as it passed the Sen
| amount appropriated by the House-re-
tanned in the bill"
Asks Return of 60-40 Ratio.
The petition sets forth that the def
mite proportion contribution provision
of 1922 is the existing substantive law,
but that Congress since 1924 has pro-
vided annually for lump sum in lieu
of the 40 per cent fixed as the Fed
eral Governments share of the Dis
trict's expenses. 1t then renews an ap-
peal for return of the 60-40 ratio, and
raises the following points in support of
an increase in the 100000 lump-sum
contribution pending restoration Of the
substantive law principle:
ITO prevent glaring inequity. your pc
titioners therefore urge, for reasons
stated in the argument hereto attached
as part of this petition, that Congress
should "a increase substantially, both
on general and specific grounds, the
basic lump payment; (2) exclude great
national or semi-national projects from
the District bill and finance them on
some other supply bill, so wording the
items thus excluded as to set forth the
exact method of financing in relation to
the amounts of contribution by Nation
and Capital that is thought to be just,
or go provide for local, saS well as
national maximum of contribution on
the assumption that it is the inpotent
local partner who alone needs this pro-
lection, or az by referendum or other
wise, permit the local taxpayers to have
some effective say in regard to the
amount of local taxes and the purpose
for which the tax money is to be ex-
pended"
Arguments Embodied in Petition.
Arguments advanced by the commit
tee in support of its position are en-
bodied in the petition.
The petition bore the signatures of
Theodore w. NoyeS, chairman of the eX-
ecutive committee; Mr.. Colladay, Mr.. Pitt,
DR.. George c. Havenner, president of
the Federation of Citizens Associations:
Mr.. Darr, Mark Lansburgh, president
of the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association; Mr.. Shaw, Ross P. An
drews of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association; Mr.. Stengle,
John A. Petty. executive secre-
tary of the Washington Real Estate
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