Evening star., 1941-03-19

vide vital municipal services fol
defense setup, and for the thouss
to operate it, has given impetus
worked out by Senator Overton
Federal payment toward the n
Washington.
1t would be a mistake, howev
Senate to regard either the prot
temporary issue growing out of a
passing emergency.
The purpose of this and subse-
quent articles will be to show that
the problem has been just as real
and in need of solution throughout
the 16 years of unscientific, lump
sum Federal payment, and that the
Overton basis of settlement would
be SOUND and equitable even if the
recent expansion in Federal activi-
ties had not served to emphasize and
aggravate the inequity in the pres
ent arrangement.
Capital of All Americans.
In short, the contention of Dis
trict residents always has been that
since this is the Federal City-the
Capital of all Americans-the task
of maintaining, developing and
beautifying it is a joint obligation
of the $4,000 Americans who live
here and the 130,000,00O of their
fellow citizens who control the city
absolutely through their elected
representatives in Congress.
From the very foundation of the
Capital Congress recognized this
partnership, and for nearly half a
century after 1878 divided the obli-
cation equally, $3.50. For four
years, starting in 1920, Congress
changed the ratio to go per cent
for the local partner and 40 per cent
for the Nation.
For the fiscal year 1925, however,
Congress abandoned entirely the
wise and equitable principle of
fixed proportion by inaugurating the
practice of an arbitrary, annual
lump-sum Federal payment, which
has failed to move in any fixed re-
lationship to the city's changing
requirements.
The results have been an almost
steady shifting of the burden of
maintaining the city to the local
community and an era of unsettled
discord. 1t has made the task of
passing the annual appropriation
bills for the National Capital a try
ing one for Congress, because the
Senate repeatedly has sought either
to raise the Federal share to a more
equitable level or to prevent its re-
duction by the House
Sharp Contrast Presented.
Appearing before a joint House
and Senate subcommittee hearing
recently, Engineer Commissioner
McCoach strikingly summarized the
effect of the lump-sum practice by
pointing out that: When it was
begun in the fiscal year 1925 it was
fixed at 100000, which was 1888
per cent of the s31 600, 900 of general
fund appropriations then required
to run the city.
For the 1912 fiscal year, if the
Federal payment remains at the
present lump-sum figure of S6,000,-
600, it will be only 1342 per cent of
the general fund requirements, now
grown to an estimated s44,714,OOO.
If Congress adopts the Overton
formula of measuring the national
obligation by the percentage of the
land area Of the city required for
national purposes, it would raise
the Federal payment for the COM
ing year to only 81 per cent of the
general fund, or approximately So
5000.
In addition to paying 79 per cent
of the general fund appropriations,
the District would be providing en-
tirely out of local revenues the So
004 ,080 for the water service, derived
wholly from private consumers with
all Government water furnished
free, and $5,516,547 for upkeep and
development of the highway system,
paid for wholly by private auto
mobile owners through gasoline and
other motor vehicle taxes.
Raises Budget to SO Millions.
Adding these separate highway
and water requirements to the gen.
eral expenses makes the total Dis
trict budget approximately $53,000,-
600, and, while the Overton formula
would apply only to the general
fund, the resulting Federal pay
ment of S9,3OO,00O would be equiv
alent to less than 18 per cent OF
the total to be spent on the city.
Viewed in this light, the Overton
plan would still require the local
community to meet approximately
81 per cent of the total outlay, but
it would mark the return of Con-
gresS to the time e-honored basic
principle of a definite percentage
ratio.
Without that principle, Washing
ton is constantly exposed to. the
danger of having the lump-sum
figure remain at an arbitrary Level,
in the face of mounting appropria-
tions.
1t faces such a danger now be-
cause, as shown in a recent series
of articles in The Star, the munic-
ipal government must prepare to
furnish water, sewage disposal,
police and fire protection, refuse
disposal and other essential services
to suddenly expanding Federal &C.
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