Evening star., 1932-05-10
Repudiating an Obligation.


BY an amendment inserted during
debate on the District appropriation bill
the House has forbidden further acqui-
sition of land or expenditures for that
purpose by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission under terms
of the Capper-Cramton park legisla-
ton. The effect is to prevent spend
ing the balance remaining from the
initial appropriations of s5,OOo,Ooo Tor
park purchases, thus postponing noen-
nitely the completion Of negotiations
already in progress for land. The Fed
eral Government stands to lose valuable
park sites and may be unable to carry
out agreements informally entered into
with Maryland and Virginia. But these
details are of less importance to the Dis
trict than the effect on park legislation
of the House reduction Of the lump sum.
Park development in and around the
Capital was conceived at the outset as
a broadly national undertaking, and
this conception was even written into
the legislation in terms suggesting the
national interest to the extent OF con-
tributionS of penny year from every
man. woman and child in the Nation.
But when enacted in final form this
LEGISLATION provided for an advance OF
$4,000, 900 from the Federal Treasury
to be spent in the District, the money
to be repaid in the District OF Colum-
bia appropriation bill at the rate OF a
million dollars a year from the rev.
enues Of the District Of Columbia and
the general funds Of the Treasury In
the same proportion as other expenses
of the District of Columbia" In ad-
dition, $7,00O,000 was authorized for
expenditure outside the District OF
Columbia on the George Washington
Memorial Parkway, to be repaid on a
$3.50 basis between the States Of Mary
land and Virginia and the Federal
Government, and in extensions into
Maryland Of the District Of Columbia
park system, to be financed on q
3sh-6625 basis between the United
States and Maryland.
The current ratio for District OF
Columbia financing, provided by un-
repealed substantive law as amended IN
1922, Is 6O-40. From the beginning the
repayment of this sixteen-million dollar
ADVANCED which about 81, ,000 900 may
be construed as having been appropri-
ated and spent in the District-should
have been made, according to this ratio,
5000 900 by the District Of Columbia
and $4oo 900 by the Federal Govern
ment. But the District was assured by
proponents of the legislation that as
the United States, through the lump
sum, was then contributing possibly rs
per cent to District funds. the balance
of the 40 per cent United States contri-
button could be construed as represented
by interest on the sixteen-million dol
lar loan-as the money was to be ad-
vanced to the District interest free.
The purpose of the legislation was to
give the park planners and purchasers
the benefit Of lump sum which could
be used advantageously in large negoti-
ations, instead Of confining purchases
to what could be bought in driblets
otherwise available through annual ap-
preparations.
BY reducing the lump sum 100000
the House would violate the spirit Of
the agreement entered into with the
District by curtailing its share of the
repayment Of the Treasury advance.
BY eliminating further expenditures
under the legislation for land purchase
the House destroys much Of the advan-
tage already gained-practicaly knock
ing park planning into cooked hat.
Although appropriations for the Park
and Planning Commission are shut on
along with further expenditures, the
District is still called upon to make the
full payment toward refunding the debt.
Instead of the United States sharing in
this repayment in the proportion that
it would share under a $9,500,000 con-
tribution, 1t will share in the repay
ment in the proportion represented by
$500, 900 lump sum If the Senate
agrees to this reduction. Instead of per-
rnitting the District to share in what
economies are represented by curtailing
park and planning expenditures, the
House would force the District not only
TO pay in full toward refunding the
Treasury advance, but in addition to
assume the extra burden entailed
through reduction of the lump sum.
And while further appropriations for
expenditures in Maryland and Virginia
may for the time being be held up, the
fixed ratio between the United States,
Maryland and Virginia remains un-
changed.
The effect on the District in this one
case symbolizes the vicious unfairness
OF lump sum reduction at the expense
OF the local taxpayer. 1t is the sort of
wrong that the District believes will be
rectified through Senate action restor-
ing 10 the District bill the lump sum
of nine and half millions, or by in
creasing it more nearly to the figure
representing the legal and equitable
obligation of the United States.