Evening star., 1933-04-05
SMITH LEADS FIGHT
TO SAVE D. c. BILL
Virginian Aids in House Res
toration of $1,040,00O for
Emergency Work.

| Committee, but Mr. Smith had the sat
isfaction of aiding in restoring to the
bill an item of 81 ,040. 900 to be drawn
from the surplus gasoline tax funds to
provide for emergency construction" ("
Mr.. Smith started his fight soon after
District bill, by making speech point
ing out that the surpluses that would
be accumulated under the economy
| budget would not aid in balancing the
| national budget. but would deny work
to thousands Of men, and postponed
needed municipal improvements.
Afterward, he offered several amend
ments, the first of which would have
| made it mandatory on the Commission
ers to reduce the tax rate to prevent
an accumulation Of tax revenues. The
| amendment, however, was eliminated
| on point Of order raised by Repre-
sentative Blanton, Democrat, of Texas.
Highway Amendment.
Later he offered an amendment to
increase the Highway Departments
improvement fund by $1,063, 900, but
withdrew it when the Appropriations
Committee disclosed it would offer a
similar emergency" amendment to alb
sorb some of the prospective surplus in
the gasoline tax funds.
Il wish to take this opportunity to
direct the attention of the members to
the fact that this appropriation bill
differs from any other appropriation
bill that Congress has to consider" said
Mr.. Smith. I'm passing upon this bill
we are acting as a town council for
the municipality of Washington and
sppropriating back to the people of
Washington. for the operation of the
municipal government funds derived
directly from local taxation in the Dis
trict.
I'VE should keep constantly in mind
the fact that we are legislating for the
only people in the United States, with
the exception of aliens, convicts and the
occupants of lunatic asylums, who are
denied the American right to speak
for themselves. We are handling the
money that is to be raised by the tax
alton of the voteless American citizens
who live in the District of Columbia,
and II We do not appropriate all of it.
or give them the benefit Of reduced
taxation so that what Is not to be spent
need not be taken from them by taxa
ton. this idle money will be amassed
in the Treasury as an unusable sur
plus.
Wise Spending Favored.
"Let us not speed too hastily through
this measure. Let us see where we can
wisely and judiciously spend the local
money that Is to be raised by local
taxation, giving work to those who need
it, preserving our city's schools and Ii
braries and institutions instead of de-
stroying them, and let us make this
balanced budget in fact as well as
in theory. The budget that raises
more money by taxation Of the people
than Is needed for governmental ex-
penditures Is just as unbalanced as a
budget that spends more than is raised.
mo man in this House has supported
by his vote the policies of the admins
tration in the attempt to balance the
budget more consistently than ! have,
for have voted for every recommended
ton that has come from the White
House since the session started. But
whether we vote for few thousand
more or q few thousand less for the
necessary functions of the local gov
ernment Of the District does not affect
the balancing Of the Federal budget one
jot or little.
THE District appropriation bill for
1884 passed the House in February, but
died in conference with the expiration
of the Seventy-second Congress. That
bill drastically cut appropriations for
the operation of the municipal govern
ment of the District This bill makes
further cuts aggregating about $6,000,-
600. I shall offer amendments at the
proper time to restore what I regard as
some Of the necessary items for the
proper and orderly conduct of municipal
affairs for the next fiscal year.
"The hearings upon the last bill
showed that there would be surplus
at the end Of the fiscal year of some
thing like $4,000, 900. BY the drastic
cuts in this bill that surplus will be
increased to an estimated $1,000 900.
These millions Of dollars, which will
come from the hard-pressed taxpayers,
but left idle in the Treasury, serve no
useful purpose. 1t will result in the dis
charge Of large number of municipal
workers, depriving them Of livelihood,
while a needless surplus of nearly $10,-
100000 as accommodating and while
necessary municipal public works are
being neglected and delayed.
Relief for Unemployed.
"Yet in the very same bill a million
and a quarter dollars Is appropriated
for the relief of the local unemployed.
II there Is any reason. logic or sound
business In this policy, ask the chair
man of the committee having the bill in
charge to state it to the House, so that
the members may have fair presenta-
ton of both sides Of the question. To
me the answer is obvious.
FIRST. The tax rate upon real estate
in the District Of Columbia should be
reduced, and
Second. Normal appropriations for
needed public works should be continued
until this surplus is absorbed
Under the peculiar governmental set
up for the District of Columbia there
are two special funds, derived from cer-
tain sources, which are allocated by law
and which cannot be used for anything
but special purposes. They are:
First. The gasoline tax. allocated
for street improvement purposes.
Second. Revenues derived from
water service, which are confined to ex-
penditures in that department.
"As to the first, the gasoline tax.
there will be a surplus under this bill
Of idle money In the next year of ST.
100000, which. under the law, cannot
be used for any purpose except street
improvement.
1.-THE Commissioners In the bill which
passed the last House specified certain
street Improvements to carry on the
necessary development Of the National
Capital and at the same time afford
employment to the unemployed here,
and expend in a normal way the reve-
nues which otherwise must lie idle in
the time which they are most needed
for unemployment relief
1.-THE amendment which I will offer
is in the language Of that bill, seeking
to carry out the recommendation of the
commissioners Of the local government,
which calls for the expenditures of
idle money in the gasoline fund, and
which does not cost the Federal Gov
ernment one penny. If my amendment
is adopted, it will call for the expendi-
ture on street work in the District of
an additional sum Of $503, $50, coming
solely out Of local revenues, which can
not be used for any other purpose,
which costs the Federal Gouernunent