Evening star., 1932-05-15
Dcedurs by directing . division Of Che

procedure Dy dlrecting q DIVISION OF the
cost.
The project is broadly National. The
title to all land purchased by the Park
Commission is vested in the United
States. The terms Of the law suggest
the patriotic interest in It to the extent
Of q cent a year contribution of every
man, woman and child in the Republic.
Congress will detect the gross perver-
sion Of law and equity which results
in a denial to 122,245,046 Americans of
all participation In the patriotic priv-
ilege of parks contribution and exacts
the entire 122,745,046, pennies, repre-
senting the whole Nation, from the
half million Americans lat more than
81 annually per head Of the District
of Columbia.
There are several other National or
semi-National projects which, as a re-
suit OF appropriations on the District
bill to finance them with an infiexible
lump sum National contribution. have
been in effect paid for solely by District
taxpayers. Included in this list are the
appropriation of the accumulated sur
plus OF local taxes, without any CORE
spending contribution of any kind or
amount from the National Treasury.
and the appropriation solely from local
taxes OF the money to complete the
parkway connection between Potomac
and Rock Creek Parks. Another threat
OF imposing an exnelditure, euuitably
National upon the local taxpayers. is
found in the compulsory substitution of
the new Municipal Center for the pres
ent District Building. This substitution
Is made in order that the municipal
buildings may harmonic in magnifi-
cence with the new National public
structures and involves an additional
expenditure Of over twenty millions of
dollars 1t Is submitted that this excess
Of expenditure on the Nations CITY over
that necessarily expended for a similar
purpose in the comparable American
commercial city cannot in equity be
exacted to the extent Of three-fourths
or more from the taxpayers of the
District.
Exclude National Projects.
4. II the lump-sum payment cannot
be equitably increased to provide for
suitable National participation in finan-
cling these National or semi National
projects, then the Appropriations Conn
mittee Is asked to exercise its power to
exclude these appropriations from the
District bill, where their inclusion re-
suits In obvious inequity, and to finance
them In some other supply bill, where
the sharing OF the expense, which the
law or equity demands, can be speci-
fically provided.
5. And. finally some action is asked
which viii limit appropriations of Dis
Irlct money by Congress (the Districts
legislature, in which it Is not repre-
sentedl in the same way that Capital
expenditures of National tax money are
limited under the lump-sum payment
plan: When the appropriations of local
and National tax money for the Capital
were by law and in practice in definite
percentage relation, this limitation auto
mat1cally resulted, and this check upon
the appropriation of District tax money.
unless accompanied by a related ex-
penditure OF National tax money, was
the main benefit derived by the District
from the definite proportionate contri-
button plan.
When for the latter plan. at the in
stance OF the House appropriations COM
mlttee the lump-sum payment plan was
tentatively substituted. it was suggested
mat loss OF this limitation upon Dis
trlct expenditures and taxation would
De cured by permitting the District to
partlclpate so effectively in the raising
ana expenditure OF its tax money that
couId be extravagant or economical,
as 1t pleased. But, in fact, the District
has no more to say about its taxation
ana the expenditure of its taxes un-
der the lump-sum payment plan than
under that OF definite proportionate
contribution. And under the inflexi-
pc lump-sum payment plan Congress
limits itself concerning expenditures
on the Nations city of tax money con-
tributed by the Nation, which it repre-
sents, but removes the limit upon the
raising and expenditure of the tar
money by the District, which it does no,
represent and to which it is not at all
responsible. And as a result we have
appropriations from the District tar
money abnormally swelling to meei
whole-cost expenditures on Nationa
and semi-National projects.
To prevent obvious injustice Conrres,
should either ~ increase equitabIy the
basic lump-sum payment, or (21 ex.
clude great National or semi National
projects from the District bill and
finance them on some other supply bill
so wording the items thus excluded az
to set forth the exact method of financ-
ing in relation to the amounts Of con-
tribution by Nation and Capitol that Is
thought to be just, or (3) provide for a
local as well as National maximum of
contribution, or az by referendum or
otherwise permit the local taxpayers to
have some effective say in regard to the
amount of local taxes and the pur-
poses for which the tax money is to be
expended.
In appropriating and in legislating
our legislators are urged to recognize
by the wording Of the law, and in con-