Evening star., 1936-12-08
BRIGHT PROSPECTS
SEENF0R D. c. VOTE
Fiscal Equity Also Forecast
Confidently to Oldest
Inhabitants.

Brighter prospects Of achieving both
fiscal equity and national representa-
tion for Washington are seen by muni-
cipal officials, civic and local political
leaders.
Predictions to this effect confidently
we're expressed last night at q dis
gathering at the Raleigh
Hotel, Where the Association Of Oldest
Of the District of Colum-
bia celebrated its list birthday.
Women were present for the first
time in the long history Of the asso-
citation. and threw strong support into
the fight for q new deal and square
deal" for the National Capital.
Paul E. Lesh, attorney, vice chair
man Of the Citizens Joint Committee
on National Representation, was prin-
cipal speaker of the evening. and oe-
clared that now Washington probably
is experiencing the darkest hour" that
precedes the dawn. Painting vivid
statistical picture of the inequities OF
the present fiscal relationship between
the Federal and District governments,
he said it had reached "a new low"
Permanent relief will be gotten
only by getting for the District Of
Columbia that to which its numbers
and resources now entitle it, voting
representation in Congress ITSELF" he
said.
"Throw Aside" Politics.
Malcolm McConihe, Democratic ma
tional committeeman for the District
of Columbia, and Edward F. Colladay,
Republican national committeeman
for the District, who sat side by side
at the head table, said they would
throw aside" politics to fight together
for the proposed constitutional amend
ment to bring national representation.
Melvin c. Hazen, president of the
Board of Commissioners Of the Dis
trict, outlined the case being pre-
sented by the Commissioners before
the Presidents special committee in
vestigating fiscal relations. For de-
termining the fair amount of the
Federal contribution, he offered q
formula based on property owner
ship. Estimating the value of tax
free property in this city at about
STAG, 100000 he said it constituted
about 80 per cent of the total
property of the city, and if taxed,
could produce about $4,000
Strangely enough, he said, this same
figure of $l2,0O0.000 had been esti-
mated by District officials in their
survey for the Presidents committee,
as the amount of the services rem
dered by the District Of Columbia
municipality to the Federal Govern
ment.
Invited to the associations banquet
for the first time, the women took a
prominent part. and added pledges
of support to the fight for national
representation. In addition to the
four leaders of women's organizations
who spoke, there were about Is wives
and other relatives Of members of the
association in attendance.
Vote Only Simple Justice.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, president
of the Board of Education, and vice
chairman of the Citizens Joint Com
mittee on National Representation,
said: II believe the District should have
the vote because of simple justice" !"
She said she had been impressed with
Commissioner Hazen's discussion of
the taxable property base. She had
faced the problem of fiscal inequity
here, she said, because schools do
need long-range planning"
Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley, president OF
the Women's City Club, who is vice
chairman of the Citizens Joint Com
mittee on National Representation,
said she was trying to throw the force
of organized women throughout the
country behind national representa-
ton here. The best way to get
proper fiscal relations here" she said.
lis to get the vote"
Mrs. Lloyd w. Biddle, president of
the District of Columbia Federation
of Womens Clubs, paraphrased a
famous quotation, to say taxation
without representation is not fair" and
pleaded for more attention to youth,
who she said, in the ages of 18, 10 and
20, supply the criminals of today"
Mrs. William Kittle, president of the
"Voteless District of Columbia League
Of Woman Voters" pledged support of
her organization to continue the fight
so as to change the name of her organ
ization which she said "irritated" her,
with that word "voteless"
So successful was the first banquet
of the Oldest Inhabitants with women
present that judging from a survey of
opinion afterwards, the women will
be ash ID to attend again next year.
This time, it was said frankly, was
an experiment"
"All-Time Low" Reached.
Mr.. Lesh, in his address, declared
"the relations between the Federal
Government and the District and its
citizens have reached q new all
time low"
Explaining why he characterized 1t
as a new low" Lesh said: "Funda-
mentally, because the relationship of
partnership is not recognized at all.
The present policy of Congress is to
appropriate a lump sum, currently
$5,000,000, toward maintenance of the
District government" he said. This
means that Congress says, in effect,
that if total of, say 100000 is
needed, and the local levies of tax
would yield only $30,00O,0 900, then
needed local expenditures must be cut
or local taxation must be raised; the
share OF the Federal Government is