Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-10
BIanton and Cramton Join in
Denunciation of 0p-
ponentS.
BINGHAM EXPLAINS
GAP between FIGURES
Difference in Costs of District and
Federal Contribution Is
Shown to Senate.

While Senator Bingham, chairman Of
the conferees on the District appro-
priation bill, was exhibiting to the Sem
ate today chart graphically showing
the wide gap which exists between the
total cost of running the National Cap
ital and the Federal contribution Of
100000 a year, three members of the
House launched attacks on critics who
have assailed the House members In
refusing to yield to the Senate proposal
that the 100000 lump sum be in
creased.
Declaring that an editorial In a
morning newspaper was an attack not
only upon himself but on the entire
House membership, Representative SIM
mons. chairman of the subcommittee
on District appropriations, who per-
sonally has engineered the fight which
has held up action on the appropria-
ton and police and fire increase meas
ures. made motion to insert the edi-
torial in the record.
Representative Blanton of Texas,
former member of the District COM
mittee. who announced some days ago
on his return to the House that he was
through with District affairs, declared:
Everybody knows the tax rate in the
District Is only $1.70 for everything
schools, water, lights, streets, etc. It
is the cheapest tax rate in any city in
the United States and there is not a
man who can justify a Federal con-
tribution of more than 100000 to the
District government"
Cramton Raps Increase.
Representative Cramton of Michigan,
who, as acting chairman of the SUBJ
committee on District appropriations,
put through the legislation which
changed the fixed proportion policy In
100000 lump sum, spoke with con,
siderable heat, saying 1.-THE figh
Mr.. Simmons has been making so abs
for reasonable limitation on the FeCN
eral contribution has at all times haS
the support, I believe, of fully nine
tenths OF the membership of the HouS
There has been an attempt at coercion
in another legislative body and in the
newspapers OF the District to force MI
Simmons, who has made such an exA
haustive study of District appropria>
tons, to yield his position. They de.
sire to eliminate his views by personal
attack when they are unable to match
his logic" -
Senator Bingham'S Views.
In presenting the chart to the Senate,
Senator Bingham declared: II desire
to call the attention of the Senate to
this chart on the wall, showing graphic
ally and wildly the difference between
The total expenses of the District govern
ment and the Federal contribution
thereto, as pointed out yesterday by the
Senator from Ohio, Mr.. Tess.
The upper line indicates the steady
increase in the cost of running the
District, while the lower line represents
the amount Of the Federal contribu-
ton which for several years tended to
remain in line with the increases in the
BILL but which for several years past
has remained stationary at $9000,0 900.
1T shows the unfairness of the con-
tention OF the House conferees that
there should be no compromise be-
tween the 100000 and the $4,000 900
approved by the Senate
The chart shows that in 1910 the
total cost of running the District was
about $10,000,000. This line mounts
steadily through the intervening years,
until, at 1880, it is near the top of the
chart with total District appropria-
tons of about $4,000, 900, and reveals
the wide gap between that line and the
line indicating the 100000 Federal
contribution.
Believes Portrayal More Striking.
The Senator believes that this chart
indicates more strikingly than the fig
ures when stated in percentages the rea-
Sonableness of the position taken by the
Senate confereeS that there should be
some increase in the Federal contribu-
ton. The placing of this map on the
Senate wall comes on the heels of the
statement filed yesterday by the Senate
conferees, in which they unanimously
described the 100000 lump sum as
unfair to the District.
The confereeS on the local supply bill
came to a deadlock a week ago when.
according to the Senate conferees, the
House members took the position that
they would not go beyond $4,000, 900.
The Senate group did not stand out for
the 12,000,0 900, but took the position
that where both houses had adopted
different amounts, there should be q
1t was noticeable that a number Of
Senators stopped to study the chart
after 1t had been placed on the Senate
wall After Senator Bingham had ex-
planned the map, no one arose in the
Senate TO speak in opposition to the
position which the Senate confereeS
have taken in favor of an increase in
l. To-