Evening star., 1936-04-06

elusive power Of legislation and ap-
preparation In his hands, and removes
all limit from the amount which the
national partner may exact for Capt.
tai upbuilding from the impotent local
partner, the District taxpayers? Pro-
lection against himself for the power
full partner, who needs no protection!
A denial of protection for the weak
partner, who Is absolutely helpless and
impotent and who desperately needs
| to be protected.
3. 1t taints with unfairness or bad
faith nearly every understanding or
transaction which 1t touches.
Unlawful Offspring Of Holman Rule.
(a) 1t came into existence as a rider
| on an appropriation bill in defiance
of substantiative law under a strained
construction of the Holman rule.
X X
The rule thus misconstrued and
misapplied. while barring equitable
increases In appropriation, facilitates
the denial or evasion Of legal indebt-
edness; 1t invites violation, with good
or bad motive, Of existing substantive
law. and 1t tempts to reputation of
just debt.
Unfairness in Respect to Surplus.
CD In appropriating for National
Capital purposes the Districts five
millions surplus accumulated during
the war years by failure of Congress
to appropriate for Capital needs) 1t
robbed this fine action by Congress Of
much of Its merit.
Taints With Unfairness Expenditures
for Parks.
tc) The lump-sum payment experf-
ment, as practically applied, converted
the Park Commission law from a
benefit and blessing to the National
Capital community into q threat of
injury.
On its face the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission law is
broadly national. The terms of the
law suggest the patriotic interest in it
to the extent of cent year contri-
button Of every man, woman and child
in the Republic. The title to all the
land purchased by the Park Commits
sion is vested in the United States.
1t has converted fine, wise, broadly
national project, which the lf-de-
ceived District enthusia stically in
dorsed, into an unjust increase Of the
local taxpayers tax burden, against
which the District taxpayer has Wig
orousIy protested.
Paraiyzes Permanent Improvements.
(d) 1t paralyzes all great and costly
permanent improvements and all loans
for such improvements by creating
In the community reasonable doubt
whether the national partner in
financing the improvements and re-
paying the loans will not exact every
cent Of payments for primarily ma
tional or Semi-national projects from
the impotent local partner, the Dis
trict taxpayers.
te) 1t taints with bad faith and
hurtful injustice the Districts new
organic act of 1922.
* r
Unjust and Hurtful Discrimination
The District has been compelled to
carry out faithfully all the provisions
of the five-year program that mean
loss and injury to it; but in appropri-
ating for the fiscal year 1925 Congress
nullifed for that year the 60-40 pro-
vision of the law OF 1922 (the only
pledge in the compromise distinctly
beneficial to the District) by attach
ing to that bill the vicious and de-
moralizing lump-sum payment rider.
The all-powerful national partner
has in each of the fiscal years since
that of 1925 repeated this unjustly
and discreditably discriminating ex-
action from the impotent local part
ner.
When Congress ceases to enact this
annual exception to the law of 1922
the 60-40 rates directed by that law
will automatically operate and the
promised era OF peace and gooo Will
and good faith will be enjoyed.
\
No Offsetting Benefits for Injuries.
4. There are no offsetting benefits
to the injuries inflicted by the lump
sum payment practice. All the pre-
dictions of evil concerning it have
been 100 per cent fulfilled. Not one
of the benefits promised for it has
been enjoyed.
Authorized by substantive law to
collect only so per cent of District
appropriations from the local taxpay-
ers, it is now collecting Gin the cur
rent fiscal year, approximately 80
per cent of total appropriation.
The prophets Of evil were the true
prophets.
The maximum national contribu-
tion is made definite during the time
in which Congress refrains from di-