Evening star., 1936-10-04
COMMITTEE TOLD
Of DISTRICT CASH
USED TO AID US.
Fiscal Relations Study Is
Progressing Nicely, OF.
ficiaI Says.
REPORTS SUBMITTED
BY IS DEPARTMENTS
Seek to Show Government Benefits
Denied at Capitals
Expense.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Fifteen reports showing the millions
OF dollars spent by the District in the
last IL years in providing services for
the Federal Government in Washing
ton were analyzed yesterday by the
special group of tax experts appointed
by President Roosevelt to settle the
perennial problem: What constitutes
a fair and equitable basis of fiscal re-
1ations between the United States and
District governments?
The reports were turned over to ].
L. Jacobs, Chicago efficiency engineer
and tax authority, who is directing the
fiscal relations study, as he met, for the
third time, with the Advisory Commit
tee the President named to assist him
The Advisory Committee is composed
of George McAneny, president of the
Title Guaranty Trust Co. of New
York City; James w. Martin. chair
mission, and Clarence A. Dykstra, city
manager of Cincinnati.
For three weeks, department heads
of the District government worked on
the reports which the Commissio
hope will convince Jacobs and his Ad-
visory Committee that the present S.
100000 Federal contribution toward
municipal expenses falls far short of
being fair and equitable.
13 Reports Awarded.
The picture of benefits reaped by
the Federal Government at District
expense, which the Is reports revealed,
was not complete, however. There are
13 other reports in process of prep
aration which will go to Jacobs some
time this week.
Jacobs, as reticent as ever about his
activities. made no comment on the
case District department heads are
building up in support of larger
Federal contribution. His only state
ment for publication was:
I'VE are going forward and making
good progress. We have had fine CO.
operation and are pleased with de-
velopments.'
The fifteen reports were prepared
by the heads Of the following depart
ments: Traffic, fire, plumbing. insur-
ance, survey, highways, sewer, electri-
cal, schools, District militia, Geological
Park. water, United States Engineers
Office, Court of Appeals and the
United States Court of the District.
Each of these reports was designed
10 show in dollars and cents how
much the Federal Government would
- for
from the District If it could be taxed
as an ordinary taxpayer. No details
were made public. either by the
department heads who prepared the
reports, or by Jacobs and his Advisory
Committee.
Gas Tax Exemption.
1t is known, however. that the high
way department revealed the United
States saved more than 100000 in
the last IL years, because it is exempt
from payment of the District tax o.
cents gallon on gasoline, and that
$4,000 year was added to that figure
because tags for automobiles of official
Government cars are furnished free
and these vehicles are exempt from
the personal property tax. The high
way department report also showed the
cost to the District of paving and
maintaining streets abutting Govern
ment reservations.
The public schools reported the
humber Of children of Government
employees enrolled, and the Fire
Department figured the value of fire
protection provided Federal buildings
over the 12-year period. Each of the
other departments endeavored to show
the value Of their services to the Fed
eral Government.
The electrical department, for in
stance, found that 1s per cent of all
fire alarm boxes in the District are on
Government property and empha-
sized the fact that it is required to
install, wire and maintain these
boxes out of its annual appropriation.
Many of the 13 reports yet to be
completed and submitted to Jacobs are
regarded as of outstanding import
ance. These include those of the
Police Department, Public Library,
Public Utilities Commission, Health
Department, City Refuse Department,
Office of National Capital Parks, Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. Board of Public Welfare
and the Municipal, Police and Juve-
nile Courts.
Police Department Cost.
The Police Department plans TO
show how much it costs to provide
motorcycle escorts for the President
when he Is travelling in the District
as well as the cost of details assigned
to foreign embassies and legations, on
request, and to the Senate wing OF the
Capitol when Congress Is in session
It likewise will estimate the cost to
the department of policing the bonus
march and the so-called hunger
marches" of recent years. These
demonstrations are to be charged up
to the Federal Government on the
theory that they would not have been
held in Washington If it had not been
the seat of the National Government
Jacobs and the Advisory Committee
fixed October % and "A as the dates
to hear representatives Of civic Or
-ganizations who have data which may
aid In the solution of the long trouble
some fiscal relations problem. Rep
resentatives of these organizations
who expect to testify are urged by
Jacobs to file reports containing in
formation they may have not later
than October II, so he and his Ad-
visory Committee may have time to
analyze the data prior to the hear
tnuc