Evening star., 1937-01-25

- 3-point formula for measur-
ing the national obligation
4 in support of the American
Capital represents the first actual
application of an old idea.
The idea is to measure the value
of services rendered by the District
to the National Government and vice
versa. After services of equal value
have Cancelled each other, the bal
ance remaining represents the sum
due the District.
The idea was suggested as long
ago as 1915-1916. during the in7esti-
cation of fiscal relations by a joint
committee of Congress. 1t was aban.
doned. as far as known, because oi
the manifestly complex problem i'll
volved. At least, it was never carried
out.
Abandoned After Trial.
When the Bueau of Efficiency was
asked to investigate fiscal relations
in 1929, the investigators decided to
experiment with the idea to deter
mine its practicability. No mention
of it is contained in subsequent re-
ports of the bureau. The story Is
that the bureau applied the theory
first in an attempt to measure the
services of the Metropolitan Police
which might be charged against the
National Government, but SO quickly
ran into unmeasurable intangibles
that the idea was abandoned. 1t has
been occasionally revived, merely as
an idea, by some individual members
of Congress. The Jacobs committee
is the first agency which ever at
tempted practically to apply the idea
In determination OF Federal 0bllga.
ton to maintenance of the Capital.
Citizens Views of Theory.
Before doing so it invited the views
of the Citizens Joint Committee on
Fiscal Relations Between the United
States and the District of Columbia.
The Joint Committee responded in
the form of supplement to its
original argument, filed at the same
time. The important points OF this
supplement are as follows:
How are We to evaluate certain
services rendered to the Federal Gov
ernment by the municipal govern
ment, the agency established by the
exclusively controlling Congress in its
government of the District of Co.
lumbia?
1T is not as if there were here in
the District two overlapping jurisdic-
tionS, in which governmental func-
tions and services were divided be-
tween two separate and independent
governments. In the District the ex-
elusive power of control rests with
Congress, which has delegated to its
agent, the municipal government. the
administration of some of the powers
which by the terms of the ConStltu-
ton are vested. in Congress.
Yardstick Is Lacking.
by what rule are We tu determine
where the funcrioning of this munich
pal government in behalf of the peo-
pie of the local community ends and
where its functions in behalf of the
exclusively controlling Congress be-
gin? How are We to determine, II
We abandon theorizing in the pur-
suit of tangible, measurable facts,
whether the primary or incidental
beneficiary of some of the institu-
tions entrusted to the municipal gov
ernment Cor to other agencies OF
Congress exercising local admins
trative authority is the local COM
munity or the Capital City Of the
United States?
When do some of the assets con-
ferred on local community by will Of
the exclusively governing Congress,
in the process of building an Ameri-
can Capital. cease to be assets and,
because of the relatively heavy drain
on limited District revenues, become
liabilities?
I'm the case of some activities,
such as st. Elizabeth's Hospital for
the Insane, the National Training
School for Boys, Howard University.
ETC., the measurement of services to
the District on a per capita basis IS
easily determined and is so deter
mined.
Water Can Be Measured.
"It might be entirely feasible to
measure the quantity of water now
consumed free by the Federal Gov
ernment and its agent. the munich
pal government (the municipal gov
ernment using such water in perform
ing services to the Federal Govern
ment) and by this method reach some
division of expense based
on water consumption and kindred
factors.
But where, in the case of the
streets, does service to the community
end and service to the Federal Gov
ernment begin? II we confined the
of the Federal Govern
ment's street obligation to the cost
of the street paving, ETC., abutting on
Federal property; the tax on gaso-
line used by Government automo-
biles and trucks; the aid to highways
shared by the States and not by the
District, would we not be omitting
the important consideration that the
very plan of the city and the ex-
traordinary dimensions of the streets
we're dictated by the Federal authori-
ties in regard to their (the National
Capitars) particular convenience?
How are we to approximate the
value to the Federal Government of
the public school system which edu-
Gates the sons and daughters of Fed
eral employees and by act of Congress
makes available its facilities even to
the sons and daughters of persons who
work in the District but live outside
the District; the value of such school
activities as community centers and
work? How are we
TO measure the benef1ts-in terms OF
the Federal Government
from the police department or the
fire department.? We might measure
some of these benefits as we measure
the benefits of the individual citizen
by computing q tax liability. Or we