Evening star., 1932-01-05

IL. Nyss L - I'M ~ Il L - - a
other branches Of the public service"
the committee added.
Four years later, however, when the
organic act of 1878, establishing the
permanent commission form OF govern
ment, finally was placed on the statute
books, Congress wisely decided that JUS
tice required an equal division OF the
cost. BY this equitable measure Con-
gress brought to a close period OF
more than rs years Of haphazard ap-
propriating for the Federal City-a pc
riod in which the financial burden had
rested largely on the local community.
Reports of the Commissioners.
1t is proper here to take note OF two
important reports delivered to Congress
Just prioK to and Immediately after the
enactment of the organic law OF 1873.
The first of these was from the Com
miSSioners who served under the tenn
porary form of commission government
from 1874 to 1878, and who occupied IN
effect the role of receivers in bank
ruptcy for the heavily indebted DISTRICT
of Columbia.
In their report of 1877 these Commis-
sionerS emphasized the Nations obl1ga-
ton to bear an equitable share OF the
expenses of the Capital City. They
pointed to the urgent need OF lmmedl-
ate relief for the school system, then
faced with the prospect of closing two
months ahead of the completion OF the
school term for want of money upon
which to operate. 1--WE trust that Con-
gress will give its careful consideration
to this important subject and establish
liberal system of annual approprla-
tions for the schools" said the Com
missioners THE obligation to do so is
strengthened by the fact that since
1894 Congress has contributed, by loan
and otherwise, in money only $253,-
58851 to the support of the public
schools in the District of Columbia,
while during the six years alone ending
June 80, 1877, there was expended on
account of the public schools in the
District an average of $397651,70 an
nually, or an aggregate of $2,386,9lO.2
In view of these facts, the request of
the trustees for the payment by the
United States of one-half the annual
expenses of the schools is not unrea-
Sonable."
Turning from the condition in the
schools to the broader obligations of the
Federal Government toward the Capt.
tai City, the Commissioners declared:
Permanent Adjustment Needed.
THE attention of Congress has been
called by prominent citizens of the Dis
trict in a carefully prepared statement
on the subject to the Importance OF
permanent adjustment of the propor-
tional expenses of the District govern
ment that should be borne by the United
States, including the regular payment
by the Secretary of the Treasury of the
interest on the 365 bonds, so called,
to be credited on the proportion of the
District expenses provided for by Con-
greSS.
In our last annual report we re-
ferred to this subject in connection with
| the recommendation Of the joint COM
mittee of Congress to prepare govern
ment for the District in their bill for
that purpose, which, failing to become
law, has been again submitted TO the
consideration of Congress.
I'VE again call the attention of Con-
gress to the principle involved. That
principle is the duty of the United
States to pay its just proportion of the
District expenses, as well as because OF
its interest as a property holder in the
District, as of the extraordinary and
exceptional expenses incident to the
maintenance of the District government
Ill lLS S6NGTdl Acpdl IIlIllolNC VI
its heavy debt, Yncurred in the improve
ment of its avenues, streets, ETC., all
resulting in large measure from Wash
ington being the Capital of the Nation.
Until fair adjustment of the proper
tional contribution by the United States
to the support of the District be deter
mined, the means of the District to
maintain and make the improvements
necessary to meet its wants as the Ma
tional Capital will be, as now, made
quate, and the ability of the District
government to perform its functions
satisfactorily will be seriously impaired.
When to these considerations there Is
added the injustice to the property
holders in requiring them to pay of
these expenses, as they are now doing,
through taxes, general and special, the
proportion exacted from them, the JUS
tice of the United States making early
provision for the permanent payment
of its full proportion thereof Is too clear
for argument. We hope that Congress
will during its present session provide
all the necessary legislation in the
premises"
Expenditures Are Compared.
The enactment of the organic law of
1878, containing the fixed ratio of ap-
preparations prlnClple on Ine paSB oL
so per cent for the District and so PER
cent for the United States followed this
report by seven months.
The first report of the new Board OF
Commissioners, established by that act,
contained a presentation Of the relative
amounts spent by the United States and
by the people of the District in Capital
maintenance and development during
the 85 years preceding.
The Commissioners called attention
to the urgent need Of street repair and
sewer construction, which should be
taken care of Immediately, but which
under the annual appropriation bills
would be spread over period of years.
They also outlined plan for refund
ing the Districts debt on basis that
would cut down the heavy annual re-
quirement for interest. 1t was in con-
nection with these two emergent rec
concentrations that the Commissioners
balanced the books to show the total
/ amounts expended by the controlling
Federal Government and by the local
taxpayers for the Federal City.
| The Commissioners included Treas
ury statement to show that total ex-