Evening star., 1936-04-05

ment, and that the original mten-
ton in the movement to abolish
the so-called territorial form Of
government was to permit larger
participation by the people Of the
District in their government.
Finding an Equitable Formula
For Fiscal Apportionment.
IF THE Commissioners want to
fight, I'll help them get square
deal from the New Deal" Repre-
sentative Palmisano of Maryland,
member Of the District Committee,
was quoted as saying last week. He
favors q settlement of the annual
controversy over the share which
the Federal Government pays
toward running the District by
establishing a definite formula
through which the burden would
be automatically and equitably ap-
portioned between the United
States and the District. This for
mula, he thinks, might be similar
to that recommended several years
ago by the United States Bureau
of Efficiency.
Many attempts to substitute for
this annually recurring wrangle
have been suggested by various citi-
zen bodies. The Federation Of Citi-
zens' Association proposed the
= establishment Of commission
upon which the District would
have representation. The late
Citizens Advisory Council, in its
first legislative report, approved
with amplifications the fedora
tons plan. The report Of the COM
parative study of taxation made
under the Treasury Department
by direction of the President sug-
gested an exhaustive study with
a view to settling this controversy.
Recently the Kalorama Citizens
Association has adopted and sent
forward to the federation for its
consideration and action a plan
whereby Congress shall establish a
permanent Board of District Esti-
mates consisting of the Commits
sioners of the District, a repre-
sentative of the Secretary of the
Interior, a representative of the
Bureau of the Budget, and such
officials as may seem proper; that
this Board of Estimates should
determine the following and report
each year at an appropriate time
the following facts:
/. The actual cost of the vari-
Gus agencies maintained and the
services performed by the Dis
trict government for the Federal
Government;
2. The loss to the District by
reason Of exemption from taxa
ton of all real estate and other
property of the Federal Govern
ment and related agencies;
3. The loss to the District by
reason Of the use Of the Capital
City for national churches, pa
triotic associations and other
tax-exempt institutions;
4. Excessive expenses of main
tenance and operation of
streets, parks, schools and other
facilities by reason of the re-
strictions imposed by Federal
statutes;
5. The cost of investment and
amortization and Of operating
expenses for children Of Gov
ernment employees and others,
non-residents and non-taxpay-
ers attending District schools:
6. And such other pertinent
subjects as may be considered
relevant may be considered by
said committee and noted in its
report.
Representative PalmiSano be-
heves the Commissioners should
be given absolute control over all
revenues-that is, they should be
allowed to spend the money as they
see fit without any interference
from the Budget Bureau or Con-
gress. Resolutions covering many
phases of this entire subject are
now pending before the federation's
Committee on Fiscal Relations, Of
which Mr.. L. A. Carruthers Is
chairman.