The Washington times., 1937-01-08

recommended as the OASIS on
which relative Federal and District
obligations shall be equitably de
termined:
Share Burden
(a) District residents and tax
payers should provide sufficient
revenues for normal local govern
mental purposes, as do citizens OF
comparable cities.
(b) Until District residents have
a direct and formal part in de
termining the character and ex'
tent Of local services and expendi
lures, they should not be expected
to bear costs in excess of those
borne normally by the residents
Of other comparable communities
for similar services.
(c) AS long as congressional
control is direct and exclusive, the
National Treasury should bear any
costs in excess of those borne
normally by taxpayers in COM
munitieS comparable with the
District.
2. The following rules should DC
applied for the continuing eQuit'
able determinations Of Federal
District fiscal relations:
(a) Extension of the present
system Of contractual reimburse
lnent to cover the entire field Of
intergovernmental operating serT'
ices;
(b) Establishment of a continu-
ing method for determining the ex-
tent of Federal and Of District in
tereSt in each public permanen:
improvement within the District
and for fixing the amount to be
paid by each Government in each
instance; and
Compare Costs
(c) Comparison of the average
cost per capita Of supplying nor.
NAL State and local services in q
group of comparable communities
with the cost per capita Of supply
ing similar services in the District,
and payment of any excess from
the Federal Treasury as long as
Congress exercises direct and posi-.
tive control over the District gov.
ernment.
3. The following specific pro-
visions included in the three-point
formula should be put into the
form of a bill or bills for enact
ment at the present session Of
Congress:
I. Intergovernmental Contrac-
tual Service: Contractual arrange
mentS shall be established for the
reimbursement of the cost Of
specific intergovernmental services
supplied either Government by the
other. Appropriations therefor
shall be included in the respective
annual departmental budgets.
Pending the grant Of broader
powers of local control over purely
local affairs, unusual costs Of the
District Government caused by
statutes providing special allow.
ances and leaves in excess Of those
usually provided in cities Of com.
parable size shall be met by the
Federal Government.
Capital Outlays
II. Capital OutlayS Of Joint In
terest: The National Capital Plan.
ming Commission shall determine
the extent Of the respective Fed
eral and District interests in capt.
tai outlayS and improvements in.
cluded in the District budget. The
capital outlay budget estimates of
the District, divided accordingly,
shall be prepared and submitted
by this commission through a Dis
trict authority together with q
longtime improvement program
for the District similarly appor-
toned.
III. Per Capita Governmental
Costs: Pending the grant Of
broader powers of local control
over purely local affairs, the ex-
cess Of District governmental costs
per capita over the average of
those in comparable cities shall be
assumed by the Federal Govern
ment through appropriations es-
pecially designated for this pur-
pose. Provided, however, that such
excess District governmental costs
shall be assumed only after allow
ance has been made for reimburse
mentS due to unusual costs occa.
stoned by congressional enact
ments referred to under point I Of
the formula.
4. To clear the way for adoption
OF this formula, the substantive
law providing for annual Federal
contributions on percentage
basis should be repealed and the
system of annual lump-sum con.
tr1outlons should be abandoned.
Exempt U. S.
5. AS a corollary of the three
point formula, Federal property in
the District should not be subject
to the ad valorem property tax or
to any other tax, excepting as SINH
lar property may be subjected to
State and local taxes generally.
6. Administrative arrangements
should be made for continuing ap-
plication Of the three-point form
ula. as follows:
(a) A permanent municipal sur
Vey agency should be established
and charged. along with other du-
ties, with reviewing periodically
the contractural provisions gov
erning intergovernmental services
and recommending changes in the
provisions when necessary or de-
Sirable; with formulating and rec
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