Evening star., 1947-03-28

REPRESENTATIVE KORAN.
and not merely looking to the Federal
budget, with a national debt of $780,
600, 100000 at the time when it, alone, of
all the four subdivisions of our National
Government, bearing in mind that we
have Federal Government, State govern
ment. municipal government, and
county o. township or district govern
ment, and they are all three listed In
purely local governments; of those four,
the one that is in debt is the Federal
Government and the Federal Treasury
is its weakest point.
And, as said in opening, merely look
ing at the Federal contribution is not the
solution nor would 1t be the solution If
we were to increase 1t up to $50, 900, 900
year without making these other cor
rections.
have gone into relief to considerable
extent. A year ago we asked the Dis
trict auditor to investigate He did. He
found any amount of abuses of relief
here in the District.
One OF them will indicate how we are
training our possible future citizens here
in the District. One of the cases he
found was father of three illegitimate
children who, under aid for dependent
children, and think this is all right,
because they should be cared for, were
drawing $40 month. They were liv-
ing with their mother, who was the
common law wife of fellow in the City
Refuse Department drawing $3.50 a
week. And he was claiming exemptions
for four dependents and was living at
another address.
God Help the Republic.
Now, listen: If we are going to have
a relief department that trains our
possible future citizens in that way, God
help the Republic.
That is just one of hundreds of ex-
amples that We found in looking into
this. We are facing real challenge, as
you know.
We, on appropriations, feel it strong
ly, perhaps too strongly. Nobody knows.
Maybe the election in 194S will repudi-
ate those of us who are not being popu-
lar with the spenders today. do not
know.
I do know this: Unless the Federal
budget is balanced and unless morality
attends in our republic and fairness and
justice and honesty, We will not need to
worry about 1913.
II want to commend you two fellows
for having taken the time that the
complications of our Federal City do
demand and I do hope, though, that
you will look past these superficial things
like tapping the Federal Treasury and
get into the field of what I like to term
not, economy, for it is not economy to
be fscally sane, and I hope you will
look into those things.
I understand that you are giving some
consideration to the O,Mahohey for
mula. I think that formula is just a
takes into complete consideration quite
2 number Of things. The Federal con-
tribution can only be considered in
terms of the entire Federal budget. I
know that there are plenty here in this
room who will disagree with me on that
but the Federal Government spends
billions of dollars here in the District
in salary and various other expenses
and much of 1t stays here. It stays here
and is not taxed by sales tax
think something like the O'Mahoney
formula should be enacted But I think
it should be only done after complete
hearings by those who are critical of it
as well as those who are it's friends.
One other thing that I think has got
to be corrected, and want to say here
for the record that do not think it
will be, and that is the police system
was little bit shocked the other day
when I heard the present police status
here in the District defended by one Of
the members of this committee.
There are about 10 square miles in the
District of Columbia. Even the OMa-
honey formula admits that about 81
per cent of that is Federal property
So, there is about IS square miles here
in the District. And that IS square miles
is dotted with Federal reserves. We know
that.
Jones, Rockefeller g. Co.
Out of the total national income, and
there Is only one national income, do
not forget that, and 1 do not care
whether the Government spends it or
John Jones or John D. Rockefeller, or
the corporations or whoever it is that
spends part of that national income, 1t
is out of the total of our national wealth
that comes from our sweat and toll.
Here in the District and its immediate
environs, there are $500 policemen of
one type and another. There are at least
seven complete separate systems. One
of them only has 18 privates, but they
have got captain and I believe two
ieutenants and four sergeants.
The same thing is true of the White
House Police and the Park Police, and
SO forth.
I have a high regard for the indi-
viduals who compose the District gov
ernment, and nothing / am saying this
morning is intended as personal criti-
cism of anybody. But If you are looking
for duplication, you do not have to look
very far. You have got captains here
in policemen's uniforms, here in the Dis
trict, who are fine men, maybe, as indi-
viduals, and I am net criticising them,
but they are doing a sergeant's work
and should be paid. as sergeant is
paid
And I hope that the Congress Of the
United States will have courage and
wisdom enough to attack this thing even
though it is fraught with patronage
from one end to the other. II we are
going to set an example for the world,
the place to begin is right in Washing
ton, D. c.
That Is about all have to say.
a check. Everybody was happy. No
one was evicted, and I had q nice profit.
But what did / do with the money?