Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-14

40 per cent of the total sum carried
| by the bill If the appropriations sub
committee and committee wish to
| recommend it. (2) That the amount
| of the annual lump-sum payment
should be increased in some roughly
of the District budget If justice re-
! quires the Nation to contribute so
much when the Districts annual
| budget Is 50 much, the same justice
| requires it to contribute more when
the District budget is doubled. The
| practical suggestion is that the amount
Of the fixed payment should be read
tusted If there is any notable increase
| in the National Capitals annual eX-
| penditure. An immediate increase of
| the basic lump-sum appropriation of
nine millions would, for example, be
in just relation to the steadily increas-
| ing current taxes and annual expendi-
lures.
Increase Specifically Lump Sum.
90 The amount of annual payment
should be increased specifically in pro-
portion to National projects included
in the District appropriation bill.
Whether or not there Is general re-
adjustment of the lump-sum contribu-
ton there should be specific increases
in that sum representing in each year
the placing in the District budget of
primarily National projects which it is
conceded should be paid for wholly or
in part from the National Treasury.
but which by inclusion in the District
bill and under the lump-sum payment
plan as practically applied are paid
solely by the District taxpayers from
current taxes.
A separate and distinct increase of
the basic nine millions should be
made to prevent Congress from viO-
lating its own statutory provisions that
the Nation shall contribute in large
and definite proportion to the appro-
priatiOns for certain great National or
semi National projects, as for example
the appropriation for expenditures
under the jurisdiction Of the National
The law provides in respect to appro-
priatiOns for this cOnfessedly National
project that the Nation shall pay its
definite proportion of total expenditure.
III Congress makes appropriations for
this National project without providing
for National participation in the cost
on the sixty forty basis, which is the
existing statutory ratio Of substantive
law, or by making a specific lump-sum
preparation in lieu of the definite pro-
portion which the law directs, both the
letter and the spirit of the law will
be violated and the inequity will result
of exacting entirely from the local tax
payers funds for National project,
which may, in the discretion of the
commission, be expended outside of the
District in Maryland and Virginia.
The annual appropriations of more
than a million dollars year, author
lied as supplemental and extraordi-
INxy &l1A ~ ak Nf
Columbia Park Commission law, are
directed by the law itself to be paid
from the revenues of the District of
Columbia and the general funds of the
Treasury in the same proportion as
other expenses of the District OF Co
lumbia."
The current ratio is 6O-4O, fixed in
the substantive law by the new or
ganic act of 1922, and still unrepealed.
The wholesale exceptions to the 60-40
ratio involved in the temporary lump
merely suspend the substantive law of
1922 for the year during which the
exceptions apply and do not repeal or
permanently amend the substantive law.
Add 100000 TO Basic Lump Sum.
The Park Commission law clearly
contenplates (and provideS) that the
authorized annual appropriation of
million dollars shall be made, 100000
from the District revenue and 100000
from the National Treasury. If the
District appropriations for 1891 were to
be made at the 60-40 ratio In &C
cordance with existing substantive law,
this apportionment of the parks ex-
penditure would result automatically.
But since, tentatively and for only the
year, lump-Sum payment is to be
substituted for the National 40 per cent
contribution, the Nations contribution
of 100000, or Whereabouts, ought
lawfully and equitably to be added
specifically to the nine millions OF
basic lump sum payment.
The Park Commission appropriation
is made Enthusiastically as supplement
to the current maintenance and de-
velopment appropriation, with its nine
millions Of lump-sum payment IN &C
cordance with the original tentative
precedent. If the 60-40 ratio Is not
applied to the whole appropriation and
If the lump-sun1 payment Is not in
creased as suggested, 1t Is generally
recognized that every cent OF the Park,
Cor whatever part OF this amount Is
appropriately will come from the Dis
trict taxpayers.
Congress will not permit any tenta-
tive Juggling with the ratio of National
and local community contribution
toward Capital development to throw
the whole burden of Park Commission
expenditure upon the local taxpayers.
/. The law specifically fOrbids this
procedure by directing = division Of the
cost.
2. The project is broadly National.
The terms of the law suggest the
49, IN he
of a cent a year contribution of every
man, woman and child in the Republic.
Congress will detect the gross per-
version of law and equity which results
in a denial to 100, 100000 Americans of
all participation in the patriotic priv
ilege of parks contribution and exacts
the entire 100000 pennies, repre-
senting the whole Nation, from the
half million Americans lat more than
So annually per head Of the District OF
Columbia.
3. The title to all the land purchased
by the Park Commission Is vested in
the United States. The Park Commits
sion can purchase land in adjacent
Maryland and Virginia as well as in
the District. II the whole cost falls
will buy for Uncle Sam exclusive title
to land outside of the District in Mary
land and Virginia.
(Note.-The Cramton Park bill, passed
by the House and pending in the SEN
ate, which would be a substitute for
existing park legislation, wisely elm
mates the provision that funds apppro-
priated for parks from District of Co.
lumbia revenues may be spent In Mary
land or Virginia. The language Of the
Cramton bill specifically restraints the
expenditure of the authorized $16.000,000
to acquiring lands lin the District of
Columbia" But the Cramton bill pro-
vides that the repayment of the