Evening star., 1935-12-15
Congress Requires
Capital That Is
Magnificent.
Has Primary and Def.
mite Duty to District
of Columbia.


let prepared by the Citizens Joint
Committee on District Fiscal Re-
lations. That the United States
subsidies to the States have risen from
$4,000, 900 in 1912 to sl34, ,406,435 in
1880 is shown by George B. Galloway
in Editorial Research Reports. In
this article the whole subject Is
thoroughly and ably discussed. These
figures are showp to emphasize the
numerous and large Federal subsidies
to the States which have not been ex-
tended to the District Of Columbia,
creating benefits to the States which
have not been enjoyed or participated
in by the District.
These figures strongly emphasize the
Nations obligation to increase largely
its annual payments for National
Capital maintenance and upbuilding
which has been reduced by substan-
tive law from so per cent to 40 per
cent and today by appropriative prac-
tice under the lump-surn payment
plan is only about 13 per cent of the
total appropriation figure for the
District. -'
INote.-The District has recently
participated to some extent in the un-
employment and other expenditures
under the New Deall
Obligation Of District Taxpayers.
The obligation upon the Capital
community to contribute to the main
tenance and upbuilding Of the
Nations city is adequately met. 1t is
adequately taxed in both local and
national taxes and in view of its pc
Washington needs the expenditure
Of large sums in permanent improve
ments, long neglected, which cannot
be financed from current revenues.
These needs should be met not by any
increase of local taxation, but by
substantial increase in the national
payment for the maintenance and
upbuiIding Of the Nations city,
whether that payment takes the shape
of a lump sum or Of a definite pro-
pOrtionate percentage Of the total Dis
trict appropriation.
Washington welcomes a thorough
and impartial investigation Of its COM
parative tax burden. Its adequacy mas
been vindicated by every competent
and unbiased tribunal which has
studied it. including the Joint Con-
gressional Committees of 1915 and of
1922.
Summary.
The national payment of only l3
per cent Of the total District appro-
priation is distinctly and grossly mad
equate. It disregards the national OBJ
legation TO pay Cd in lieu of taxation
Of its $3.50 100000 Of realty in the
District; (2) in view of its damage 10
the District by holding tax-exempt a
vast and increasing area of the Dis
trict while the city's maintenance and
development expense steadily m
| creases; CD In view Of its absolute
and exclusive legislative and financial
control Of the city, since obligation
follows power; a. in view Of the ma
tional responsibility to prevent the
Nations city from becoming a nation
al shame. and to make it and continue
it an object of national pride; (5) in
view Of the many large compulsory
payments exacted from local taxes,
solely because washington is the Cap
! ital. In excess of what would be paid
if washington were the ordinary COM
mercial, self-sustaining community, as
/ in financing national parks in the
District and our overgrand municipal
/ center; go in view of the national
obligation to consider justly In this
connection the heavy national lin
ternal revenue) taxes paid into the
Treasury by the people of the Capital
compared with corresponding pay
ments by the States, and Cd in view
of the national obligation in equity to
pay heavily for Capital upbuilding in
lieu Of the hundreds Of millions OF
dollars In grants, bounties and sub
sides paid by the Nation to the
States, in a distribution from which
the Capital has been barred.
We are urgently appealing to the
President and to Congress for speedy
| Justice