Evening star., 1937-04-25
Taxation. Efficiency and
Re0Fga anization Under Study.

IT is too soon to predict what
solutions will be found by the
subcommittee OF the House Dis
trict Committee. which has been
holding hearings during the past
week under the Craftsmanship OF
Representative Kennedy Of Mary
land. The Commissioners and Dis
trict officials were the first to be
heard.
Many Of the Districts most Sc
rious problems are being brought
out in these hearings. More revenues
are needed to meet the apparent
deficit anticipated in the enactment
OF the 1888 appropriation bill. Per-
sistent suggestions are heard that
the efficiency OF the District serv-
ices could be improved so as to re-
duce the cost of running the Dis
trict in some of the departments
So far there have been pointed out
few. If any, definite economies
which might be thus effected.
The usual attitude Of the heads
OF any governmental institutions is
one of expansion and grasping of
additional powers and duties, with
the necessary added funds, rather
than any curtailment OF either ac-
tivities or expenditures.
Citizens who are watching this
hearing are unable to see just how
the subcommittee is going to get
the requisite information to effect
more efficient and economical
set-up. 1t may be that among the
citizens there will be those who
have had intimate contact with
various activities of the District
Government and can supply con-
structive criticism. 1t is generally
conceded that while partial solu-
ton may be found it will be only
start
There are indications OF the sub
committee devising a taxation sys-
tenn entirely independent Of any OF
the pending bills. The civic reac-
ton to these bills has been any,
thing but friendly. The action OF
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions is typical. That central body
approved several OF these bills in
principle. but suggested radical
changes were necessary before they
would be acceptable. The most of
these bills were rejected by the
federation for sound reasons OF in
equity and unreasonableness.
Incidental to the present hearing
are suggestions for marked modi-
fications in the present form of the
local government. Most of the sug-
gested changes have been hereto
fore offered from various sources
and studies. There is serious dim
Guilty In attempting to set up q To-
cal government for q people who
have no voice or vote in the agency
which Is to do the setting up.
Municipalities throughout the
land are operated under charters
granted by the State legislatures.
in which the citizens Of these COM
munities are represented by their
own citizens of their own choosing.
The resulting charters even then
are usually submitted to the citi-
zens for their direct action through
the ballot box before becoming law.
The citizens of these communi-
ties come just about as near get
ting the form Of government they
desire as is humanity possible. Here
Is where the District strikes q snag
Its legislature is the Congress Of
the United States, in which the
District has neither voice nor vote
Then If something in the line Of a
new governmental set-up is worked
out by this foreign" legislature
the District would, in all prob
ability, be told that of course it
would be impractical to submit the
charter to 4 referendum of the
people because there are no voting
laws or machinery available in the
District.
This condition points to the real
problem, one OF fundamental
Americanism. the necessity Of
amending the Federal Constitu-
ton so as to give District citizens
voting representation in Senate,
House Of Representatives and the
electoral college. Such is the nat
ural right of all Americans, only
through such process may the
rights OF citizens be preserved and
fiscal and political equity prevail.