Evening star., 1939-03-19
By JESSE C. SUTER.

oy JESSE ~ 0O 01Ns
Hearings on District legislation
have had a conspicuous place in
the civic news Of the past week.
The District appropriation bill
continues to occupy the atten-
ton of the House subcommittee
headed by Representative Ross
Collins of Mississippi. The tax
bill hearing before the Fiscal
Affairs Subcommittee Of the
House District Committee is be-
ing both approved and condemned
by spokesmen for the different
civic groups. The chief objection
to the taxation program, under
consideration, is to the sales tax
feature. The objectors hold that
such tax is unnecessary, Is un-
scientific and will shift the
heaviest burden of taxation to
the poor. On the other hand
proponents regard the sales tax
as fair. simple and capable Of
reaching many who otherwise
would go untaxed.
Hearings on the Griffenhagen
plan for the setting up Of re-
vised form Of government for the
District are being held by q spe-
cial subcommittee of the House
District Committee under the
Craftsmanship of Representative
Ambrose j. Kennedy of Mary
land. The representatives Of
Griffenhagen have been explain
ing for the record the details Of
the plan.
A member of the subcommittee
has shown some impatience at
the lack of completeness of the
plan as given In the printed re-
port. The expectation was that
the report would be accompanied
by the draft of the required leg
islation to make the plan effec-
tive. Complaint was made at the
failure of the report to give some
definite estimate of the econo-
mics which the new setup would
produce.
The third hearing in progress
is that Of the Subcommittee Of
the Senate Committee on the
District of Columbia on the
Overton bill to establish more
equitable fiscal relations between
the governments of the United
States and the District Of Co.
lumbia. This appears to be one
of the most one-sided hearings
ever held on proposed District
legislation. All witnesses have
approved the bill though some
have suggested notifications.
These notifications have in
cluded a proposal that, to the
area of the land owned and used
by the Federal Government In
the District of Columbia, there
be added the area of land ex-
empted from taxation by act Of
Congress for national or inter-
national reasons; payment by the
United States for its consumption
Of water as shown through a
metered service and q payment
toward the highway fund to
compare with the payments by
private individuals and corpo-
rations toward that fund.
The House of Representatives
on Monday authorized an inves-
tigation of the District milk sit
uation. The immediate cause Of
this action was the recent ship
ment into the District of cream
from the Middle West by an un-
licensed producer. The investiga-
ton will proceed as soon as funds
are allotted from the contingent
fund of the House.
sThe District Commissioners
have been rather inconspicuous
during the last week, though they
did fix the date for the annual
Cherry Blossom Festival for the
day Of March "a.
An unusual event Of the week
was the House District Commit
tee going before the House Dis
trict Appropriations Subcommit-
tee to urge substantial increased
appropriations for Gallinger Hos
pital.
Form Of Our Amendment for
d. c. National Representation.
For years there has been . more
united support for the proposal
to give the District people nation
al representation than for any
other legislation affecting the
District. Through the Citizens
Joint Committee on District Of
Columbia National Representa-
ton organized Washington, with
very few exceptions, has stood
shoulder to shoulder to beg of
Congress the granting Of the
right to participate In the coun-
cils of the Nation.
As Is well known, the granting
to the people Of the District the
right to voting representation In
the ConRreSs and among the elec.