Evening star., 1939-07-14


District of the National Government) operating
out appropriations and with authority its
employees
The decision OF the House to turn down its conferees
osensiby reached the basis of statements made by
its influential members regarding the District
Let us examine some OF the statements n each case taken
facts
The Statement
District are on the Federal pay roll and paid by the Governs e
ment of the United States.
The Facts
The number of executive legislative judicial municipal
employees the District according the most
and estimates available is 4341e The population of the Dis
rct of Columbia Omitted States Census Bureau estimate
July 9sD is The percentage of Federal employees to
total population 229 This hgh because unestmated
number of Federal workers live in adjacent Maryland and
Virginia.
large number OF municipal employees are paid exclusively
from local tax Others receive 80 of
per representing proportion revenues rep
resented by the Federal payment.
Federal the salaries Of congresmen
paid by any one of more than half the States.
The Statement
have MR. he the
imported if they operated the thing properly.
The Facts
There receiving relief in the District the time
uals and 900 families averaging 376 family estimated
total of 1884 receiving relief from the Public
receiving laid dependent averaging
9 total of about 1859 persons receiving
relief care persons receiving assistance
and 2os persons receiving aid for the blind.
Estimated of all classes public relief-21427
Mr. Taber said they operated thing properly"
the only relief problem would be what is imported.
The people of the District
amount of money paid in relief the rules Of eligibility to
relief is paid The people of the District have
ude from the District any one who wishes to come here
Congress- that Congress exercise exclusive
ceedng 10 miles square, may particular
and the become the seat of
MR. TABER They do not pay ANYTHING like what at
The Facts
The last official comparison of Washngtons with
that of other cities made early this Rightor
chief statistician Division of States Cities
Bureau the Senator Overon
figures obtainabe comparison
that when interest and debtfundng payments included
the tax comparison the tax burden Washington was higher
than the eleven cities which most closely approximate
population When the items of interest and funding payments
eliminated washington being permitted carry bonded
debt the relevant comparison relating the tax burdens for
and normal deveopmen the tax burden
of Washington Shown to be higher than that of all but four
of the eleven Cities and closely two of these four
get out Of the lies with the exclusively egsang
which writes the tax laws and the collection of
The Statement
MR. WHITT1NGToN. With respect to the $6,5oo0oO invite
the gentlemans attention the most
unusual provision that
legislative bill The bill provides for the year ending June
94O each fiscal year thereafter shall appro
priated" appropriation in legislative bill
in violation of the rules of the House should properly
voted down.
The Facts
On June H. 1873 Congress wrote into the organic
District of Columbia this provision:
ITO the extent to which Congress approve said
mates Congress shall appropriate the of
mates shall be levied and assessed taxable and
privileges in said District other than property United
States and the District of Columbia"
This remained the law for years. until passage the Dis
t Appropriation Act of February o. 1921 when the 604O
ratio was first adopted temporarily for the fiscal 1922 In
that act the provision
"Be enacted by Representatives
of the United States Congress assembled That
OF the following respectively appropriated out of
in the Treasury otherwise appropriated
cenum of the of the District of Columbia in full for
the following of the Government of the District of Co.
lumbia for the fiscal ending June &c. 1922 only namely
The next passing the Appropriation Act of 49,
1922 Congress made the 6040 ratio substantive
in the following language:
THAT annually from and after July 1922
expenses District Columbia Congress
appropriate for shall be paid out of the
of Columbia derived from taxation privileges
naming the United States excepting
items Congress direct shall be another
basis"
This remained the substantive law until repealed
the District Revenue Act Of May 49, 1888 although had been
tsee STATEMENT VS.. FACTS Page A-so
: =.