Evening star., 1933-07-02
THOMAS TO BACK
FIXED RATIO FOR
.D|STR|CTEXPENSES
Chairman of Senate Subcom-
mittee Will Work for Agree
ment in Fall.
C0NCURS IN PROPOSAL
BY SENATOR COPELAND
Believes Federal Government Should
! Be Liberal in Treatment of
Capital City.

New hope that the next session of
Congress may give attention to the ques-
ton Of fiscal relations between the Fed
eral and District Governments with a
view to arriving at definite and equi-
table settlement of the problem was seen
yesterday. when Senator Thomas, DEM
ocrat, OF Oklahoma, chairman of the
Senate Subcommittee on District Appro-
priations, expressed willingness to CO.
operate toward that end.
Senator Thomas, who was placed at
the head Of the District Subcommittee
OF the Senate Appropriations Committee
at the last session, indicated that he
would prefer some fixed ratio basis of
apportioning the annual expenses of
the National Capital between the Fed
eral and District Governments, instead
Of the practice which has prevailed in
recent years Of providing a lump-sum
figure each year as the United States
share.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New
York, head of a subcommittee on tax
problems for the Senate District Com
mittee, had voiced the belief Friday
that the next session should seek a
determination of the fiscal relations
issue, and indicated his intention of
taking Up the problem in the Fall.
Senator Thomas Concurs.
Commenting on Senator Copeland's
views, Senator Thomas said he would
be GLAD to join in such an effort. The
Oklahoma Senator suggested, however,
the adviSability Of having Senate and
House Committee, chosen possibly from
the Appropriations Committee, to con-
fer with District officials to try to work
out ratio basis of payment.
Discussing a fixed ratio method,
Senator Thomas pointed out that un-
der such a plan. when it is decided
how much the total of the city budget
should be. We would know automatical-
ly how much the Federal Government
would have to pay and how much the
District would have to meet"
Senator Thomas reiterated the view
he expressed when he became subcom-
mittee chairman, that as long as the
Federal Government exercises exclu-
sive control over the Capital City he
believes 1t should be liberal in its
treatment of the District.
Ratio Changed in 1925. -.
The fixed ratio method Of apportion-
ing the obligation Of maintaining the
National Capital between the United
States and the local community vas
followed by Congress for nearly half a
century before the present practice Of
lump sum Federal contribution was re-
sorted to in 1925 at the instance of
the House. From 1878 to 1920. :nc.u-
sive, the $3.50 ratio fixed in the Dis
tricts organic act was adhered to. For
the fiscal year 1921 this was changed
to make the Districts share so per
cent and the United States 40 per cent,
and in June of 1922 Congress wrote
into the 1928 District appropriation act
the language that annually, from and
after July l, 1922" the expenses OF
the District should be apportioned on
the 60-40 basis.
Although the House in 1925 departed
from this fixed ratio by introducing the
lump-sum practice. and continuing II
from wear to year since. the provision
in the act of 1922. written in terms OF
substantive law, has never been re-
pealed. The lump-sum Federal contri-
button has been placed in each appro-
priation bill for one year at a time.
House Sought Repeal.
The House has endeavored to bring
about the repeal of the substantive
60-40 provision in the act of 1922, but
the Senate has never agreed to Its re-
peal. When the first lump-sum de-
parture was proposed by the House as
a rider to the 1925 appropriation bill
the Senate fought against 1t, but, IN
order to avoid failure of the supply bill
in the closing days of that session, the
Senate was forced to agree to a COM
promise lump sum of 100000, the
House having started out with figure
of S8.O00,0O0. For a number OF years
the annual Federal lump sum remained
at $4,000 900. despite the fact that dur
ing that period the total required an
nually for the District was mounting
steadily, the increase in expenses falling
entirely on the local taxpayers. For
two years the Senate succeeded in hav-
ing the Federal sum raised to So
500, 900, but last year, because OF the
demand for economy in all Government
expenses, the Federal share of the Dis
trict bill was cut back to $7,775, 600, and
for the fiscal year which started yes
terday the Federal share has been
further cut to $5,700,000. During the
entire period that the lump sum prac-
tice has been followed it has led to
constantly recurring difficulty between
the two branches of Congress in the
enactment of the annual appropriation
bills, the House seeking to hold down
the size of the lump sum and the Sen
ate endeavoring to bring it up closer to
an equitable relationship to the total of
the city's requirements.