Evening star., 1933-05-29
FEDERAL AID ASKED
I ON D. c. HIGHWAYS
Board of Trade Spokesman
Charge City Is Being
Treated Unfairly.

Although the District OF Columbia is
a heavy contributor of Federal taxes TO
Uncle Sam, it is the only section OF
the country left out of the highway
program in the administrators indus
trial recovery bill, representatives OF
the Board of Trade told the Senate
Finance Committee today, asking the
committee to include the District in
that part of the bill.
Robert ]: Cottrell. executive secre-
tary. and Dr. Lewellyn Jordan, chair
man of the Streets Committee of the
trade body were accompanied to the
hearing by District Auditor D. j. Don
ovan and Engineer OF Highways White
hurst.
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi,
chairman, gave Donovan permission 10
file a brief in which he will show that,
while the District is included in another
section of the bill dealing with public
works other than highways, there are
only two local projects on which the
District government could be given as
sistance under that section.
Negligible Help Seen.
The auditor will emphasize. there
fore. that unless Washington Is placed
on a parity with the States in the
highway section, it can only benent 10
a negligible degree in the program by
which the Government hopes TO stlmu-
late employment and industrial recoV-
ery throughout the Nation.
The committee will weigh the argu-
ments on behalf of the District when II
goes into executive session later IN the
week after the hearings.
Mr.. Cottrell called the committees s
attention to the fact that, on the basis
Of receipts for the fiscal year 1929, 25
states paid less in Federal taxes than
the District of Columbia, and that 10
of these States paid less in the aggre-
gate than the City Of Washington. He
emphasized also that Federal taxes are
to be increased to meet the interest
charges on the public works program
and the District will have to join in
paying these taxes.
"Although the District will be called
upon to pay these increased taxes. they
are not permitted, under provision OF
section 204 of the bill to share IN ex-
penditures proposed Hereunder, Mr..
Cottren added. Section 2O4 contem-
mates distributing $400, 900 900 to the
states and Hawaii for highway con-
struction, according to area, mileage
and population. To leave the District
out of this program would be highly
unfair" Cottrell said.
He emphasized the District collects
about 81, 600 900 a year through its local
2-cent gas tax for highway work IN
addition to which it pays 81 ,000, 900 into
the Federal Treasury through the i
cent Federal gas tax. 1t Is estimated,
he said, that on the basis Of 1881, the
District would pay a larger amount
in the form of the 1-cent Federal gas
tax than 13 States.
There passes through the District
of Columbia from the adjoining States
of Maryland and Virginia several main
Federal-aid routes" Cottrell stated.
"All of these routes are partially i'm
proved, some are in need of widening,
some are in need of repaving and prac-
tically all require the removal Of Ger
tain hazardous conditions. Practically
all routes terminate at the zero mile
stone south of the White House. The
main routes Of the Ellipse and their
connection into main thoroughfares Of
the city streets are urgently in need
of rebuilding and widening. Under
terms of the bill as proposed, the City
of Washington and the District would
be the only jurisdiction within the
United States that would not be eligible
to share under the highway portion of
the act"
Some of the streets that fall In the
line of Federal highway routes and
that could be improved II the amend
ment is allowed we're listed for the
committee.
Asks Equal Help.
In emphasizing that there is little
benefit in the bill for Washington unless
this city is given the same consideration
as the States In the highway section,
Mai Y1O1nuon mill Y1nif1f IN, l1iS hriaf
that a contagious disease ward at Gal
linger Hospital and Junior high school
in AnacoStia are the only two District
projects for which the Federal Govern
ment could advance funds under the
general public works section OF the bill.
This is because construction projects for
Washington have to be authorized by
Congress before they can be started and
the foregoing are the only two In that
category at present.
Cottrell and DIR. Jordan left with the
Finance Committee the wording of
amendments needed to include the Dis
trict in the Federal highway program.
In statement filed with the Senate
committee Mr.. Cottrell declared:
THE District of Columbia contributes
nearly two and a half times as much
Federal money through Federal taxes as
it receives in Federal money through
the present lump sum (s7.775, ,00O). The
District contributed in Federal taxes in
1929 $l7,094,719. 1t contributes more in
Federal taxes than any one of 25 of
the 48 States in the Union. It receives
less in proportion to what it contributes
than many Of these States. Five of the
States receive more from the Federal
Government in bounties and Subventions
than they contribute through their Fed
eral taxes"