Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
Not a Difficult Research.

The resolution adopted by the House
Of Representatives on July for the
appointment of a committee of seven
to inquire into District-F Federal fiscal
relations authorizes the committee ito
sit during the sessions and recesses Of
the House, to hold hearings, to require
the attendance of witnesses, to compel
the production of books, papers and
documents and to take testimony"
There will be no necessity of invoking
the compulsory power of the commit
tee to get plenty of testimony on the
subject of the equities of Federal con-
tribution to the maintenance of the
District. The citizens and the oficials
Of the District are ready and eager TO
present themselves before the commit
tee with arguments and with data and
ngures in support of their contention
that the Governments share of the
maintenance of the Capital municipality
Is not gratuity and is not adequate
under the lump-sum provision, which
mas prevailed for some years.
Nor should it be necessary for the
Committee of Seven ito sit during the
sessions of the House" in order to COM
plete this research and to reach its
conclusions. For there is no occasion
Tor such protraction of the inquiry as
to extend it beyond the time of the
converting of the next session. The
case Is not difficult one If 1t is ap-
preached in the spirit of equity and
without prejudice. It is, indeed, rather
q simple proposition. Here Is the Dis
trtct Of Columbia, industrial COM
munity, with inflexibly restricted area,
incapable of territorial expansion, and
by reason of certain restraints and re-
strictions imposed by acts Of Congress
and municipal ordinances based upon
statutes, held to a minimum of CONNER
cial development. It is required to
maintain high standard of equipment;
with exceptionally broad streets and
with a great area Of parking. It has
no large concentrations of wealth in
private hands susceptible of taxation.
This community must pay without
any recourse of appeal the taxes that
are imposed upon 1t at the mandate of
Congress. 1t must pay the amount of
tax revenues necessary to meet the bill |
presented in the form of the annual |
appropriation measure, less q certain |
amount which has since 1878, a period |
Of fifty-two years, been contributed by |
the Government in consideration of the |
Districts lack Of means and weight of |
responsibility as the National Capital |
Congress may fix the tax rate and 1t |
may direct the scale Of assessment for
taxation purposes. It has done this in
the past. 1t may revise those rates at
any time. 1t may impose new taxes,
finding fresh resources for tax levying,
even as it is now suggested in the en-
abling resolution under which the Com
mittee of Seven is to act that new
forms of taxation and sources of rev.
enue" may be found.
The only question, after all, is
whether the District is taxed to a point
of reasonable suff1ciency, whether its
privately owned property Is fairly as
payment is in correct proportion. Does
the average Washingtonian pay as much
as he should in comparison with the
average citizen of other cities of SINH
lar size and conditions? On that score
there are abundant figures, and there is
ample proof to show that the per capita
taxation in the District Of Columbia Is
high, that there is no tax lodging, that
there is no hiding of wealth from the
assessor. In short, it has been shown
again and again, and can be shown once
more that the District pays all it should
in reason pay In taxes of its own toward
its maintenance, that 1t needs the aid
of Government contribution, and that
in equity that contribution should be
proportioned to the amount of the Dis
trict's share Of Capital cost and should
not be subject to the within and econom-
ical stringency Of the appropriative
body.