Evening star., 1933-11-26
SENATOR ASKS SURVEY
TO FIX APPROPRIATIONS
Seeks to Eliminate Lengthy Con-
gressional Consideration of
Federal Obligations.

trict governments in an effort to work
out percentage basis OF apportioning
the expenses OF the National Capital be-
tween the Nation and the local COM
r1unity would receive prompt and care
full consideration. However, he de-
ciined to comment or express his views
until he has received the letter ad-
dressed to him yesterday by Senator
Thomas.
Mr.. Cannon pointed out that his SUBJ
committee will not meet to consider
the District budget until after the first
of the year." He has been working on
special job for the House on rules
and precedents Of procedure.
Senator Thomas suggestion was that
| We undertake to arrive at some equitable
division under which the Federal Gov
ernment should pay a certain per cent
Of the expenses of the District" He
pointed out that II this could be done
it would simplify the annual task of
Congress on the District bill. He ex-
pressed personal willingness to have
the study made by the District legis-
lative committees of the House and
Senate, or by the appropriation SUBJ
committees, and concluded by inviting
the views Of Chairman Cannon on the
suggestions.
Senator Thomas Letter.
The letter Of the Oklahoma Senator
who was placed in charge Of District
| appropriation matters for the Senate
last March, read as follows:
Dear Congressman Cannon:
"As you will remember, the question
OF the contribution of the Federal Gov
ernment to the District of Columbia
carried in the several appropriation
bills, has, on former occasions, come in
for considerable consideration, and in
order that We may eliminate this par
! ticular feature of the appropriation
bill l respectfully suggest that we un-
dertake to arrive at some equitable di-
vision under which the Federal Gov
ernment should pay certain per cent
| OF the expenses of the District.
1T occurs to me that an inveStiga-
| ton would enable us to arrive at what
would be a fair proportion to be charged
! against the Federal Treasury, and if
such an agreement could be reached
| then our work in preparing the bill
would be considerably simplified in that
| all items could be considered as to the
needs OF the respective requests. and
then when the bill is completed the
proportion assigned to the Federal Gov
ernment could be made automatically
l do not wish to place an unjust bur-
den upon the public for the mainte-
ance OF the District of Columbia, yet ]
am convinced that in as much as this
Is the Capital of the entire Nation. and
further in as much as the Congress is
in fact the governing body of the Dis
| trict. and further that while the citizens
OF the District receive vast benefits
from Federal expenditures, yet it oc-
| ours to me that the Government like
wise receives benefits from the taxes
paid by the citizens or the District:
hence. the suggestion herein submitted
| for your consideration
Asks for Cannon's Views.
Personally, I would be willing to
have the two District Legislative Com
1n1ttees make the investigation and en-
BODY the results OF SUCH investigation
in bill for the consideration Of the
Congress. I am fully aware that our
respective committees have Jurisdiction
OF the subject matter and am willing
to join In such an investigation myself
In fact, I am willing to do anything to
simplify our work and at the same time
do exact justice to both the taxpayers
of the country as well as the property
owners OF the District of Columbia. !
should be glad to have your reaction
to the suggestions herein made,
Respectfully submitted,
ELMER THOMAS"
For nearly half a century Congress
adhered to a definite percentage ratio
| first on the $3.50 basis from 1873 to
1920, and then on the basis of go per
cent from District taxpayers and 40
per cent from the Nation. The provi-
sion of substantive law enacted in 1922
establishing 60-40 as the new ratio, has
never been repealed, but has been de-
parted from annually since 1925 by the
practice of writing into each District
supply bill lump-sum figure as the
Federal contribution.
The people of the District. through
their various organizations, have con-
sistently opposed the lump-sum method
of Federal contribution because of its
! tendency to increase the Districts share
! of the burden of maintaining the Capt.
| tai City. This was forcefully demon
strated during the first six years of the
| 1ump-sm practice, during which time
| the Federal share remained stationary
| at S9,000,000 annually, despite the fact
that the total of the District appropria-
| ion bill was increasing steadily. This
meant the increase was all on the Dis
trict's side.
Senate Opposes Lump Sum.
The Senate opposed the first depar-
ture from the percentage ratio basis
| and in virtually every succeeding year
| has sought to bring about more equi-
| table adjustment of the question.
In the fiscal years 1881 and 1882 the
Senate obtained a temporary increase
! in the lump sum of $500,000, making
| it S9,500,000. In the fiscal year 1888
| in response to the general movement
! for economy, the Federal share of the
District bill for that year was cut back
to S7,775,000. On top Of that deer
slash. however, the Budget Bureau rec
commended a further cut to $5,7OO OOl
| for the current year. The House &C.
cepted this figure, and it remained In
| the appropriation act after the Senate
had tried unsuccessfully to increase it
The move just made by Senator
Thomas to try to have the whole ques-
ton of fiscal relations restudied in an
effort to reach an equitable settlement
recalls the statement made during the
past Summer by Senator Copeland
Democrat, of New York, that Congress
this Winter should try to work out a
solution. Senator Copeland has served
on the District Subcommittee of the
Appropriations Committee and also i
| Chairman Of a subcommittee named at
the last session to study local taxation
and fiscal questions. -