Evening star., 1932-01-25
No Real Voice.

In his aQy TSSS OAIuluay CH SAAiAAS "N
the University of Michigan Club dinner
Representative Mspes contributed al
interesting addition to the growing COL
lection of preposterous statements fbou
Washington when he said:
know of no other place
I'm the United states where the people
have as much voice in their Govern
ment or influence 1t as much as they
do right here in the District OF Column
bis. They are invited TO appear ana
do appear, before the committees OF
Congress to be heard on every piece of
legislation of Importance affecting the
District, the same as the people of the
States. in fact. much more than the
people of the States are heard before
the committees of their State LeglSla-
lures. not to mention the social LOBBY
in the District, which has no equal or
ANYTHING that compares with 1t any,
where else in the United States. Fur
thcrmore. there Is concentrated pub lc
sentiment of opposition here IN the
District Of antagoniSm, approaching
bitterness, against any step which Con-
eress NAV contemplate looking toward
anv increase in taxation, unequaled
anywhere.
Inasmuch as the House, Of which Mr..
Mapes in a member, has recently passed
an income tax bill, a gasoline tax bill,
an estate tax bill; motor vehicle
weight tax bill and a bill repeating the
6O-4O provisions CT the Districts organic
act. without referring these measures
to the Legislative Committee, without
holding a single hearing on any OF
these specific bills, and without the for
mality of referring them for report to
the Commissioners, the speaker presum-
ably intended his remarks as pleasant
after dinner Jest, though the people OF
the District may have some difficulty
IN seeing the point.
1t is, of course, impossible for any
one to compare the Voteless, unrepre-
sented and impotent condition of the
people of the District as taxpayers with
the condition Of the people in the SOW
ereign States and other municipalities,
and after this comparison to reach the
conclusion that residents of this city
have a greater voice" in their Govern
ment and influence 1t more" than the
Americans who vote.
The members of Congress represent
every municipality in the United States
except the District OF Columbia. Each
Of these municipalities or districts has
selected for itself from an imposing list
those ferns Of taxation that 1t con-
ceives most reasonable and fair, the
least Objectionable or hurttul, and
which will create necessary revenue for
specific purpose The District OF Colum-
bia suffers constantly from what seems
to be the irresistible impulse Of this or
tkat member of Congress to insist that
the taxes in the same form and amount
selected by his own constituents be
applied here. And if these insistencies
were successful, as sometimes threat
ened, the District would be plastered
with every known form Of taxation,
each representing the maximum amount
possible under those forms.
The voting constituents Of these
members Of Congress do not tax them
Et4Nto DtGduSC LLCl AAhE A. ANOSS0J
loves taxes. They tax themselves only
when and If there is a demonstrable
need to raise money for specific and
popular purpose. They do not seek
application OF the greatest number of
ferns of taxation in the largest amount.
They zealouSly hold themselves to the
fewest forms Of taxation in the mini
mum amount.
The root OF the "antagoniSm" here TO
the higher taxes, SO deplored by Mr..
Mapes, is imbedded in the obvious fact
that the only need for higher local taxes
is to reduce the Federal contribution to
the District. The Mapes Committee
demonstrated that in It's report, which
advocated the reduction OF the lump
sum Concurrently with a corresponding
increase in local taxation. And an
tagonism becomes inevitable when by q
conteStable method Of manipulation of
figures the District is made TO appear
as a privileged and undertaxed COM
munity Of grudging grumblers, when
any fair comparison, undertaken in the
spirit to be expected from taxing body
which in theory is supposed TO act with
as close approximation as possible to
its natural procedure had 1t been elected
BY the taxed community, would show
the District as bearing fair and rea-
sonable tax burden compared to tax
burdens elsewhere.