Evening star., 1936-11-22
ALLEN INSISTS i. s.
PAY PREMIUM FOR
d. c. DICTATORSHIP
Asks More Than S. 900, 900
From Government for
Support of City.
COMMISSIONERS ASK
EQUITABLE ADJUSTMENT
Lack of Political Equity for Cap
ital Residents Pointed Out to
Fiscal Probers.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.


Commissioner George e. Allen told
President Roosevelt's special fiscal re-
lations investigating committee yes
terday that If the Federal Govern
ment desires to continue its Dictator
ship over the District a premium
should be paid for the privilege far
in excess of the $5,o00,000 the Ma
tional Government paid toward the
support of the city this fiscal year.
Allen made vigorous plea for
permanent adjustment of the fiscal
relations problem on the basis Of
justice and equity. He was supported
by the two other Commissioners, Mel
and Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, District
auditor and budget officer. All three
cited facts and figures showing that
the United States is not now paying
fair share toward the cost of op-
Grating and maintaining its Capital
city.
The conference, held behind closed
doors, developed into a round table
discussion of the Districts serious
financial plight, resulting chiefly from
the failure of the Federal Govern
ment in recent years to bear its
equitable burden Of municipal ex-
penses.
U. S. Control Aliens Theme.
The control exerted by the United
States over the District was Aliens
IJa I1o%
do the residents lack political equity.
but they have no voice whatever in
the expenditure of their tax money.
The Budget Bureau, Federal agency.
he declared, first determines the
amount the District should spend,
and then Congress dictates how and
when it shall be spent.
such a situation constitutes die
tatorship" said Allen. 81 believe If
the Federal Government desires to
continue such an arrangement, it
should pay, and pay well, for the
privilege The 5000 900 turned over
to the District this year, certainly
does not represent fair and Just
amount"
Aliens statement obviously made an
! impression on the committee. Several
members made penciled notes when
he finished.
Commissioner Hazen argued for a
Federal payment of at least $4,000
600 on the theory that this sum rep
resents the value of the services it re-
ceives from various municipal depart
ments.
Two Other Points Stressed.
Two other points also were stressed
by Hazen:
1.-The loss in tax revenue to the
District of the ever-increasing tax.
exempt property holdings of the Fed
eral Government which have an as
sessed valuation of $649, ,72S,1 ,158, and
amount to about 80 per cent of the
total area of the city.
2-That every parcel of land taken
from the tax rolls by the Federal Gov
ernment adds to the burden Of the
taxpayer.
A chart prepared by Fred d. Allen,
tax assessor, was introduced by HAGEN
to show that the United States will
own about half of the total area of the
District within the next l3 years, if it
acquires property at the same rate Of
the last decade.
Col. Sultan, Engineer Commissioner,
discussed various activities under his
supervision and explained their par
ticular value to the Federal Govern
ment, while Maj. Donovan devoted his
testimony primarily to District f1nanc-
es and the condition the municipal
government faces in the coming fiscal
year unless additional revenue is
forthcoming.
Donovan also digressed from the
financial angle to point out that the
proposal for reorganization of the
municipal government in the interest
of efficiency and economy has no re-
lationship to the fiscal relations study.
Just prior to the conference ]. L.
Jacobs. director of the fiscal rela-
tions investigation, received a three
page typewriter statement from
Rufus S. Lusk. president of the Wash
mgton Taxpayers Association, urg.
ing that continued study be made of
the reorganization proposal. He de-
clared a study of this subject would
be helpful in reaching solution to
(See ALLEN, Page A-4.)