Evening star., 1936-06-02
CUT IN LUMP SUM
ALSO BLAMED ON
OFFICIALS APATHY
D. c. Committee Chairman
Urges Citizens Groups to
"FoIIoW Through"
ACTIVE LOBBY URGED
TO DEMAND EQUITY
Marshals Arguments for Repre-
sentation Remedy for
Democratic Convention.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.


Chairman Norton of the House Dis
trict Committee today placed on the
municipal authorities and residents
of Washington the blame for the fail
ure of Congress to give the District a
square DEAL in connection with the
fiscal relations policy and its parsimon-
ious treatment in making appropri-
ations for vitally-needed public i'm
provements.
Aroused over the action of the House
during her absence last week in In
structing its conferees on the 1887
District appropriation bill to insist that
the Federal payment toward the eX-
penses of the Capital be fixed at
So, 100000 instead Of S5,700.000 as
recommended by President Roosevelt
and approved by the Senate, Mrs.
Norton declared:
mo member of Congress can do any
thing to aid in improving conditions in
the District unless the municipal au-
thorities use more organization to
bring the important questions to the
attention Of the members. The in
difference on the part of the author
tiles has been unusually marked at
the current session.
Urges Follow Up"
TIE citizens too, have not been
as vigorous as they might in stressing
the needs Through their neighbor
hood citizens associations they adopted
resolutions appealing for certain i'm
provements and in many instances let
the fight end there. They did not
follow through. Very few of the repre-
sentatives of these civic groups took
the trouble to come to the Capitol and
make a personal appeal to support their
demands. If concerted efforts are
made by the authorities and the cit
liens for recognition Of their rights, I
am confident members of Congress will
be more responsive to their demands
Mrs. Norton believes District officials
rs well as the citizens should conduct
an active lobby at the Capitol in the
interest of equitable fiscal relations
between the Federal and District Gov
ernments. She also thinks such a
lobby might constitute a potent in
fiuence in pushing through legislation
that the District wants.
Cites Substantive Laws.
"Unrepealed substantive law re-
ouires that the Federal Government
pay 40 per cent of the expenses of the
District" she declared. Why don't
the District authorities and the cit
liens, too, insist that the law be car
ried out, and not submit to annual
lump sum payments that have steadily
been reduced until this year the House
voted for s2,70O,O0O. the lowest in
history?
Zone of my reasons for wanting the
District to have national representation
is that it will have its own representa-
tives in Congress to fight for just and
fair treatment-representatives who
can devote their entire time to the
District"
Regrets Absence.
Mrs. Norton said it was "unfortu-
nate" that she was forced to leave
Washington last week at the time when
the House voted to insist on
s2,7o0,OOO Federal payment for the
coming fiscal year.
"I couldn't be here" she said, land
as a result not one member rose to
defend the District" -
Mrs. Norton is going before the Reso-
lutions Committee at the Democratic
National Convention in Philadelphia
and demand that it write into the party
platform a pledge to support the move
for national representation. Already
she has started to gather a mass of
material to support her arguments
before the committee.