Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-03-19
Continued From First Page

y
to obtain final favorable court de-
cision against District residents who
have lived here for many years, but
claim that their real home in else
where.
After providing figures on various
types of District tax revenue in re-
cent years, Mr.. Dent urged the sub
committee to approve the requested
per cent income tax on unincor-
porated businesses. He said 1t was
unfair to tax only those businesses
which are incorporated while es-
adjustments equally large and often
in direct competition are not so
taxed.
Fire Chief Clement Murphy and
Acting Police Supt Walter H.
Thomas were called before the joint
subcommittee to explain their de-
partmental expenditures during the
last 10 years.
This questioning went along
smoothly until Inspector Thomas
mentioned that the Police Depart
ment spends thousands of dollars
year in providing special police de-
tails for Griffith Stadium, other
sports events, various gatherings at
foreign embassies here and at other
places, such as Constitution Hall.
There is absolutely no justiflca-
ton for District taxpayers having to
pay expenses of private enterprises"
Representative Bates declared.
THAT is matter for the District
Commissioners to look into"
Inspector Thomas told the sub
committee that the District is not
reimbursed as are police depart
ments in most other large cities for
details provided for such private
or semi-public places.
Reserve Equipment Needed.
Fire Chief Murphy said that 81
per cent of the total increase of Al
per cent in fire department ex-
penditures since 1887 has resulted
from increased salaries. The de-
partment chief said that the first
line equipment of the department is
the best in the country but that the
department is greatly in need of re-
serve equipment for any emergency
that might develop If several major
fires broke out simultaneously In
'i Mr. I pent's testimony, Subcommittee
members said, is primarily for back
ground on existing levies and the
Districts difficulties in raising
enough tax revenue to offset a
threatened s16,o0o,0oo budget deficit
in 1913.
Young, Fowler Testify.
Mr.. Dent followed Commissioner
John Russell Young, Budget Officer
Walter Fowler, Highway Director H.
C. Whitehurst, Water Superinten-
dent David v. Aud and Auditor
Arthur r. Pilkerton, who appeared
at yesterdays all-day session. Other
District officials also will be asked
within the next few days to explain
past increases in expenditures and
to justify new spending estimates
which have shot the 1948 budget up
to $95, 100000.
Before the subcommittee buckles
down to detailed discussion OF each
OF the new tax bills, Chairman Cain
of the joint House-Senate subcom-
mittee disclosed, it will go into the
formula question. This approach is
far more realistic than in the past
when specific District revenue meas
ures often were acted on without
first being sure what Federal pay
ment to the District would be-" he
said.
Formula Pending.
Bills pending in Congress would
base the Federal payment on the
amount of tax-free Federal land
holdings in the District. A percentage
formula, proposed in the O'Mahoney
bill, would bring a payment OF about
$4,000, 900 in 1913, as compared with
the $8,000,O0 lump sum voted by
Congress last year. Commissioner
Young told the subcommittee yes
terday this percentage formula
should be enacted to cope with the
DlSUTlCb llIldIlC1dI p1lSl1e'
Although Senator Cain did not
commit himself today on any specific
formula measure, he was emphatic
in saying that a scientific system"
should be substituted for the lump
sum procedure or earlier arrange
ments which, he said, had sometimes
not been met in full by the Federal
Government.
THE situation. as I see il" Chair
man Cain said, lis that the District
is short $16,000p00. The District
government proposes certain addi-
tional revenue measures. Also, var1-
Gus members of Congress are pro-
posing fixed formulas for greater
Federal payments to the District.
mo AK to Grind"
The first thing is to get back
ground information from the Dis
trict officials, and we are doing this
now by calling in great many OF
them. But the next step is to settle
the formula question. If we deter
mine that a fixed formula will bring