Evening star., 1936-04-05
States Share of Lump Sum Far Short
Of Contribution by District Citizens
Washingtonidns Pay
More Per Capita Than
81 Commonwealth.
Paw almost 90 Per Gent
of Bill in addition to
Federal Taxes.

keep of the National Capital dis
tributed among the people Of the
United States?
When members Of the House ad-
vocate repeated reductions in the lump
sum toward District expenses. as they
have again this year. the inference Is
that this Federal share of maintaining
the Capital is burden on the tax
payers back home"
AS the Senate subcommittee on Dis
trict appropriations prepares to hear
Washington's plea in opposition to the
action of the House in slashlng the
Federal share of next years bill from
SIS, 100000 to $2.700.000. 1t is timely
and enlightening to see how this
burden" of helping to maintain the
National Capital rests on the taxpayer
back home and the taxpayer who hap
pens to live at the seat of government.
First of all, it must be remembered
that the Washingtonian not only is
paying So per cent of the total cost of
the Capital City this year. through his
municipal taxes, but that he also pays
his part-and a relatively high part
per capita-of the remaining IA per
cent derived from the lump sum pay
ment the Federal Treasury makes.
In 1885. for instance, the Districts
internal revenue payments amounted
to S12,638. .144 - greater than the
amount paid by % States and more
than the combined revenues of nine
States.
States Share Very Small.
If the S5,700,000 lump sum payment
for this year is apportloned among
the States and the District according
to the percentage which each con-
tributed to the total of Federal internal
revenue taxes for 1885. it is possible
to show how much-or. rather how
little-the individual citizens of the
States are being called on to provide
toward the upkeep of the seat of gov
ernment-a city under the exclusive
legislative control of the Federal Gov
ernment and developed to meet the
requirements of National Capital.
A table printed herewith presents
such an analysis and discloses that
in all but few States the per capita
rate of contribution toward the S.
100000 lump sum ranges from frac-
ton of cent to cents a year per
inhabitant.
Washington. with population OF
486,869, paid As per cent of the
total United States internal revenue
receipts for last year. Applying this
percentage of National tax payment
to the lump sum, it is found that
Washington put in s26,220 of the s5,-
100000, in addition to meeting,
through municipal taxes. 86 per cent
of all the expenses of the city. Ap-
plying the S26220 to the Districts
population, the last column shows
that Washingtonians pay cents plus
per capita toward the lump sum.
City Exceeds 20 States.
The table sets forth a similar analy-
sis for each State. Summed up, it
shows that Washington exceeded %
of the States in percentage Of United
States internal revenue receipts and
that it occupied the same position In
actual dollars contributed to the Fed
eral lump sum.
The last column discloses that in per
capita contribution to the lump
Washington exceeded 81 Of the States.
New York, being the headquarters
and center of many large national
concerns, has the highest percentage
of internal revenue receipts paid
(22.l3. Consequently, it leads the list
in actual dollars provided toward the
lump sum, its percentage amounting TO
S1,261,410. Because of its large popu-
lation Q2,588,066), however. this pay
ment toward the lump sum becomes 10
cents year per capita.
Delaware, with percentage of 99
toward total internal revenue re-
ceipts, furnishes S56.430 toward the
lump sum, but because of its COM
paratively small population. this
amounts to % cents and approx
mately 6 mills per capita.
North Carolina and Virginia. which
have high percentages of internal
revenue receipts by reason of tobacco
taxes. are high in per capita partici-
patton in the lump sum. North
Carolina is shown to have is cents
plus, and Virginia II cents plus.
Maryland is slightly above Washing
ton, with 6 cents per capita. There
are only six other States with a
higher per capita than Washington's
cents, leaving 81 States with lower
per capita contributions.
Texas Share Small.
Texas, for instance. home State OF
Representative Blanton, chief advo-
cate of reduction in the lump sum,
provides s125, 400 toward the Nations
present payment of $5,700,000. With
a population of 5,824,7l5, this makes
the payment of Texas fraction more
than cents per capita.
Despite the fractional amount which
the s5.700,O00 lump sum represents
to the individual citizens of the
States. the House has voted to slash
it by $4,000, 900 for the coming year,
while at the same time increasing
the total of the local supply bill $685.
900 above budget estimates, to an
aggregate sum of s42,573,283.
If the inequitable House bill should
prevail, the comparatively small group
of Americans who live at the seat
of government would be called on to
pay about "a per cent OF the total
cost of supporting the National Capt.
tai, leaving only 6 per cent to be
spread over the entire Nation Of 123,-
100000 Americans.
In contrast with the small difference
the lower lump sum would make in
the per capita quotas of taxpayers in
most of the States, the local tax
payer would be confronted with the
task of making up the resulting
deficit, tentatively estimated at about
ST ,900.o 900, If the supply bill became
law as 1t passed the House.
rs States Would Pay / Cent.
A table similar to the accompany
ing one, but based on the House lump
sum of S2,700,000, would show that
~, oE Ctotac Tho y,er roy,ito ehore nj