Evening star., 1936-10-23
FORMULA TO FIX
LUMP SUM URGED
At CONFERENCE
Federal Property Holdings in
District Cited at Meeting
Of Committee.
Federation OFFICIAL
HITS LACK OF VOTE
Disfranchisement Of Citizens Dis.
cussed by Suter and Chair
man McAneny.
nv JAMES z. CHINN.


Appearing before President Roose-
velt's special committee to investigate
fiscal relations, L. A. Carruthers Of the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
today expressed hope that the group
would be able to work out formula
for determining the basis Of fiscal
relations between the Federal and Dis
trict governments.
Carruthers, head of the federation's
Fiscal Relations Committee, brought
from Chairman George McAneny the
comment:
I'VE hope to do that" .-
Presided over by McAneny, who Is
president of the Title Guaranty Trust
Co. OF New York, the hearings, which
began today in room 208, Commercial
Bank Building, Fourteenth and G
streets, will continue through tomor-
row.
Carruthers pointed to the extensive
Federal real property holdings in the
District, which, he said, amounted to
331s per cent of the total amount Of
real property.
Deplores Lack of Franchise.
Carruthers also deplored the lack
of franchise In the District and called
attention to a provision in District
law which permits nonresident chill
dren Of persons employed In Wash
ington to attend the public schools
without payment Of tuition.
THAT law" he declared, puts a
premium or incentive on people NOV
ing into nearby Maryland and Viz
ginia.
We lack the franchise" Carruthers
continued. THE Federal Government
tells us what taxes we must pay and
the amount we must pay. We're in
the minority. We have not reached our
majority. We haven't any vote"
Carruthers' statement on the dis
franchised status Of residents Of the
District led to discussion of the dif-
ference between local suffrage and ma
tional representation, which was en-
gagged in by Chairman McAneny and
Jesse c. Suter Of the Citizens Joint
Committee on National Representa-.
ton.
Thomas z. Lodge, president OF the
federation, who followed Carruthers,
also was asked about the suffrage and
national representation moves.
Representation Favored.
"I believe the uniform opinion Of
the people Of the District" he said,
'is that the District ought to have
national representation
Suter, a former president Of the
federation, explained that the or
ganization had been in favor of ma.
ticnal representation since its begin.
ming. in 1915.
Both McAneny and J. L. Jacobs, di.
rector of the fiscal relations study.
reverted to questioning Carruthers
about the use Of per capita tax as
sessments for comparative purposes.
Carruthers- explained that the per
capita figures compiled by the Census
Bureau, where he is employed, are
accurate, impartial and reliable.
These per capita assessments are
not intended to prove or disprove
anything" he declared.
Carruthers also pointed out that
tax rates are Of very little value" for
comparative purposes.
Inconveniences Described.
Inconveniences, added expenses and
other burdens endured by Washington
residents because they live in the Ma
tion's Capital, were described earlier
by Rufus S. Iusk, secretary of the
Washington Taxpayers Protective As
sociation.
Lusk specifically complained Of:
!. The loss in taxes due to large
Government property holdings.
2. Serious traffic congestion result
ing from concentration Of Federal
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