Evening star., 1932-01-12
ROWMAN CHARGES BIAS TO ALL
MAPES COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Declares Each Man Named
Was Known as UnfriendIy
to District.
Wants Lump Sum Fixed by
Study, With D. C. Resi-
dents Participating.

Every member of the Mapes Commit
tee whose report served as the basis
for tax legislation enacted by the House
of Representatives for the District Of
Columbia, was charged with being
biased against the District by Represen-
tative Frank L. Bowman of West Viz
ginia, speaking at meeting OF the
Piney Branch Citizens Association, In
Hamline M. E. Church. last night.
Mr.. Bowman, member of the House
District Committee, launched into a
strong and lengthy attack on the Mapes
Committee and the manner in which
the matter of fiscal relations between
the Federal and District Governments
has been handled by it.
Declaring every man put on the
committee was known to be opposed 10
ANYTHING favorable to the District in
the matter OF fiscal relations, Mr. BOW
man declared:
IF ever there was a biased commit
tee that one was"
He further charged that the person.
mel of the committee was selected be-
cause each man chosen was known TO
have an unfavorable attitude toward
the District.
Senate Ignored, He Says.
Telling how the committee was named
to study the question of fiscal relations,
the speaker asserted it has ignored the
Senate and prejudged itself IN having
authority to fix fiscal relations 1or the
District"
Mr.. Bowman charged, however, that
the committee by its own act has 1ndl-
Gated that the District has not received
large enough contributions from the
Federal Government.
Mr.. Bowman said the committee IA
vored raising District taxation S4,0oo,-
900 and then advocated contribution
of Sc, 500, 900 by the Federal Government
making a total additional sum Of $lO,-
100000 they felt the District needed.
Previously, Mr.. Bowman said IN ell
feet, the House of Representatives had
favored Federal contribution OF only
SO 900 900 to the District at the last
session. This would go to indicate, ne
added. that the MapeS Committee by
it's own act showed it felt the District
was receiving 81 100000 less than what
it should have received in several years
past in the Federal lump-Sum contribu-
tion.
Mr.. Bowman said he is not In favor
of a set amount being appropriated
each year by the Federal Government
as it's contribution to the District. In
stead, he said, study should be made
each year to determine how much IS
needed by a representative group of
District citizens along with members
of the Senate and House.
Aroused Interest Urged.
Mr.. Bowman advocated an aroused
interest on the part of the citizens and
groups here with view to co-operat-
;,,~ i,o n T0nUrpCS
The speaker also advocated the
granting of greater administrative au-
thority of the District Government, 50
that many matters which now have to
be passed upon by Congress could be
handled by the local government with
out consulting the Federal legislative
body.
The association adopted a resolu-
ton praising Senator Capper in his ef-
forts to have the various tax bills,
growing out of the Mapes report, go be-
fore the Bureau of Efficiency for study
before being acted upon by the Sen
ate. A resolution also was adopted
favoring the Capper bill to regulate the
sale of firearms in the District OF Co.
lumbia.
The functioning Of the Washington
Community Chest was explained at
the meeting by j. F. Moulton, repre-
sentative of the Chest. Capt. G. L..
Shorey, vice president OF the associa-
ton, presided at the meeting.