Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-25
Invites Views of Cannon on
Inquiry Into Apportionment
Of D. c. Expenses.
SUGGESTS COMMITTEE
MIGHT CONDUCT QUIZ
Senator Believes in Percentage
Basis-Hopes for Agreement to
Iron Out Differences.

suggestion that members of the
House and Senate unite in a study of
the fiscal relations problem in an effort
to arrive at some equitable percentage
basis of apporticn.ng the expenses Of
the National Capitol between the Fed
eral and District governments was made
today by Senator Thomas, Democrat of
Oklahoml, chairman of the Senate sub
committee on District appropriations, IN
a letter to Chairman Cannon Of the
corresponding subcommittee of the
House.
Senator Thomas said he would be
willing to have the inquiry conducted
by the Legislative Committees of the
House and Senate on District affairs or
that he would be willing to join in such
an investigation himself, pointing out
that the Appropriations Subcommittee
have jurisdiction of the subject matter.
The Oklahoma Senator invited the
views of Mr.. Cannon on the ACCESSIBILITY
of trying to arrange joint fiscal rela-
Backs Percentage Basis.
Although the Senator did not refer
to any particular ratio that should be
considered. he reiterated in the letter
his belief that the apportionment should
be on a percentage basis.
Congress for many years followed the
percentage method. first on $3.50 basis.
and later 60 per cent from the District
and 40 per cent from the United States
In recent years however, the House has
placed in the District supply bill each
year lump sum figure as the Federal
share The letter of Senator Thomas
TO Chairman Cannon follows:
LAS you will remember the question
of the contribution of the Federal Gov
eminent to the District of Columbia
carried in the several appropriation
bills has on former occasions come in
for consideration. and in order that we
may eliminate this particular feature
of the appropriation bill. I respectfully
suggest that We undertake to arrive at
some equitable division under which
the Federal Government should pay
the District.
Would Simplify Work.
TT occurs 10 me that an inveSti-
cation 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 simpli-
fed. in that all items could be con-
sidered as to the needs of the respec-
tive requests, and then when the bill
is completed the proportion assigned
to the Federal Government could be
made automatically. I do not wish
TO h1rr
public for the maintenance of the
District of Columbia. yet l am con-
WINGED that inasmuch as this is the
Capital of the entire Nation and fur
ther inasmuch as the Congress is in
fact the governing body of the Dis
trict, ard further that while the citi-
zens of the District receive a vast bene-
fit from Federal expenditures, yet it
occurs to me that the Government like
wise receives benefits from the taxes
paid by the citizens of the District;
hence, the suggestions herein submitted
for your consideration.
Personally, I would be willing to
have the two District legislative COM
mitteeS make the investigation and
embody the results of such investiga-
ton in bill for consideration of the
Congress / am fully aware that our
ton of the subject matter and am will
ling 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. I should be glad to have
your reaction to the suggestions herein
made"
Fight on Lump Sum-
Since the House inaugurated the
lump.Sum policy of fixing the Federal
share, there has been constant contro-
versy between the two branches of Con-
gress over the amount of the lump sum,
the Senate having consistently endeav-
ored to arrive at what it regarded as a
more equitable figure. The lump sum
practice has always been opposed by
the civic and other organizations Of
the District because the lump-sum
method had tendency to increase the
Districts burden whenever the total of
the supply was increased. For num-
Der of years the lump sum remained
stationary at So, OCO 900 year, although
the total of the District bill was in
creasing annually. For a brief period
the Senate obtained slight increase to
$500 900 in the Federal share, but in
the past two years the figure has been
drastically reduced to the present figure
of $500, 600