Evening star., 1936-10-24

HSHL LOtUuf " DtO(f ~ CLHCItOCo -
was ignored by Congress in providing
lump sum appropriation. which has
steadily decreased to the present
s5,0oo,oo0 figure, the lowest in his
tory.
The $4,000, 900 lump sum, Colladay
explained, represents only 1875 per
cent of the District budget. If the
Government paid taxes on its prop
erty in the city. he said, it would be
paying instead 1921 per cent Of that
budget. But he hastened to explain
he was not recommending tax on
Federal property. He also insisted
again at this point that he hoped the
committee would abandon" the lump
sum idea and return to q fixed pro-
portionate basis.
William A. Roberts. retiring Peoples
counsel, who preceded Colladay on the
witness stand, urged the creation OF a
commission to determine annually the
amount of the Federal payment. The
commission, he said, should be COM
posed of the budget director, another
representative of the Treasury Depart
ment, a representative of the Interior
Department, and the three District
Commissioners.
Roberts declared the representative
Of the Interior Department should be
placed on the commission, because that
department has "intruded into the
recreational activities of the District
in an alarming degree, and spends a
great deal Of our money"
Commission Should Fix Sum.
The commission, according to Rob-
erts, should determine the amount OF
the Federal payment, in advance OF
preparation of the District budget esti-
mates so the Commissioners would be
in a position to work out balanced
budget each year. He suggested that
the commission in determining the
Federal payment use q formula that
would take into consideration the cost
to the District of services provided the
Federal Government. The formula
should also include, he said. such items
as the extra cost to the District because
it is the seat Of the Federal Gov
eminent.
Roberts expressed the hope that the
Fiscal Relations Committee would
settle the annually recurring dispute
over the amount of the Federal obli-
cation, which would avoid bargain
;,,oD bafora conversational coYn ittoec
He said that in the past the municipal
government has had to bow" to the
needs of the Federal Government. He
cited particularly the concentration Of
Federal buildings in the so-called tri-
angle area, which he declared already
had cost residents of the District thou
sands of dollars sin inefnciency" simply
because the United States Government
wanted to increase the efficiency.
Roberts also complained Of the
obsolete status of tax collections in the
District, and declared that they are on
IAN inefficient and unsocial basis" He
concluded his testimony by declaring
he is morally convinced after six years
of service in the District Government
that graft is non-existent.
THAT is one thing you don't have
to consider" he told the committee.
Vote Subject Arises.
Twice during the hearing the sub
ject of national representation and
local suffrage was injected. During
the testimony Of Carruthers and
Thomas e. Lodge, president Of the
citizens federation. the question OF
fiscal equity was closely tied into the
question of political equity. Lodge
said he believed uniform opinion Of
the people of the District is that they
ought to have national representation. '
Suter, a former president Of the fed
Grafton, advised the committee that
this organization has been in favor of
national representation since its be-
ginning in 1915.
The second time the national repre-
sentation question came up was in the
supplemental brief of the Citizens
Joint Committee, which Suter read.
"In the give and take of democratic
Government in the United States" the
brief said, "the voteless District Of
Columbia stands on the side-lines.
There is no municipal government
bargaining with the State Legislature
over benefits to be conferred or re-
ceived. There is no State Legislature
bargaining with the national legisla-
ture over the benefits to be conferred
or received. There is no representative
Of the local community In the national
legislature alert to the interests Of
voting constituents, and seeking to OBJ
tain for them the benefits which now
from the national Government to the
citizens in the States. Our local
legislature, in which we are not repre-
sented, is our national legislature, in
which we likewise lack representa-
ton"
"That condition, which we believe
to lie at the root Of many Of our dis
advantages in the fiscal relationship
between national government and
local community, is, Of course, beyond
the power Of your committee to re.
move. But it is q condition that can
not escape serious and thoughtful con.
sideration In q fair attempt to balance
the equities Of the unique fiscal re-
lationship which you have been called
upon to study"
Lusk Cites Inconveniences.
Rufus S. Lusk, secretary Of the
washington Taxpayers' Protective As.
sociation, the first witness, cited the
inconveuiences, added expenses and
other burdens endured by Washington
residents because they live In the
Nations Capital.
Thomas J. Keefe, general manager