Evening star., 1932-05-15
Member of the Associated Press,
Lump Sum Iniustices,

Lump Sum Injustices,
The District appropriation bill for
tbs fiscal year 1888, as passed by the
House and as now pending before the
Senate subcommittee on District ap-
preparations, emphasizes and accentu-
ates all Of the vicious, unsound prin-
ciples OF the lump sum practice Of ap-
preparations.
The lump sum has already sought TO
destroy all relationship between ma
tional and local contributions. Through
annual. temporary application - q
rider on appropriation bills, it has re-
moved any and all safeguards against
excessive local taxation by o taxing
body In which she taxed have no voice.
Under its Inconsistencies the maximum
Of Federal contributions has been care
fully limited from year TO year, while
there has been no maximum limit, other
than the exhaustion Of local revenues,
upon the contribution from the i'm
potent, helpless District. The heavier
the burden Of capital maintenance and
Improvement tho greater the share de-
Inanded OF the District and the smaller
the share borne by the United States.
But in the pending appropriation
bill the maximum Of unfairness and
the zenith Of III treatment Of the Dis
trict have heen reached. Under the
terms OF this mu The omnipotent Con-
gress deliberately transfers an obliga-
tion Of the United States in the sum
of 100000 10 the local taxpayer;
deliberately and expressly wipes out q
charge against the Federal Treasury
and makes It charge. against local
revenues.
The lump sum teaches q false theory
concerning the relation OF Nation TO
Capital, by placing the lawful and self
Imposed obligation Of the United States
toward Capital maintenance In the
light Of benencent donation, as II
the primary obligation Of National City
upbuilding were upon the local taxpay-
ers and the Nation were only an Incl
dental contributor, actuated by phil
anthropic sentiment. This year that
false theory "a seized upon and garbed
In new rairnent to meet the demands
OF fashion. In an economy year. when
the National, state and local govern
rnents are trimming budgets wherever
they can to- bring what relief there is
for long-suf fering local taxpayers, the
local budget. already carefully trimmed
to fit the local purse. Is drastically cut
TO the point where development Is prac-
ticaly paralysed, where mere mainte-
nance must be skimped But the only
one who profits from the saving is the
su-poverful, exclusively governing Fed
ersl Government. whose contributions
have not increased as the expenses of
building and maintaining the Capital
increased, but whose contributions. IN
proportion to the whole, have decreased.
Only the Federal Government is to
profit, and for the local taxpayer
there is the loss Of advantages gained
through normal improvements, and in
addition the threat Of higher local
taxes to make up for the loss Of Fed
ersl revenues.
The lump sum taints with unfairness
or bad faith nearly every understand
ing IL touches, and this years pro-
posed reduction Of the lump sum by
$4,000 would write new chapter
Of shameful deals with the District,
specifically in the case Of park legisla-
tion. The United States advanced
interest-free money to the District and
10 the adjoining States of Maryland and
Virginia, the understanding with the
District being that 1t would contribute
tts part toward refunding the advance
In the same proportion that it contrib
uted TO other District expenses, that
understanding being entered into when
the lump sum was nine and half mil
lien dollars. At the same time the
United States nxed the ratio Of It's par
tieipation In semi-national park prof.
ects in Maryland and Virginia Through
reduction Of the lump sum IL lowers
its participation in repayment OF the
Treasury advance for park purchase In
the District, but leaves unaffected the
hxed ratio Of participation with Mary
land and Virginia. Is there any one
under the mykA hal %hnt -
sovereign States of Maryland and vir-
giria would for q moment suffer such
double dealing? Yet the District has
no recourse other than appeal for jus
tice to the Senate.
AL Of the predictions Of evil concern
ing the lump sum have been 100 per
cent fulfilled in the years of its law
evading application, and not one Of its
benefits, 50 glibly promised, has been
realized.
Pending that time when the over
burdened Senate can give TO the Dis
trict the fun hearing on its merits that
the question of fiscal relations demands,
1t should In fairness restore TO the
lump sum the amount arbitrarily
stricken out by the House. thus pre-
venting greater and more fsr-reashins
injuseices under the unjust lump SUM.
Atlantic Still Perileus to Planes.
A kindly fate has saved Lou Rsichsri
%yer. a u,a4.~v sre ve IN the safsae man