Evening star., 1949-03-10
Taxes Threaten
District Exodus,
Federation Told
Adjustment Needed
With U. S. Payment,
Connouehton Says

sociations was warned last night
that unless proper adjustment
of the tax load between the Dis
trict and Federal Governments is
effected. more and more" Wash
ington property owners will dis
pose of their homes and move to
nearby Virginia and Maryland.
John H. Connaughton. president
of the group. which represents 72
affiliated organizations. sounded
the warning. He spoke at the
Federation's 39th anniversary din
ner in the MayfloWer Hotel, at
tended by more than 500 persons
In citing the growing feeling
toward disposal of property, Mr.
Connaughton said that if such a
condition progressed Washington
might become a deserted village
to which we could point as the
Capital of the Nation"
He said the problem of provid-
ing District finances should be
fairly" assumed by Congress. "as
they have the entire control of the
taxing power and the spending
power"
Problem for Residents.
Mr.. Connaughton. stressing the
influence of District residents
when their small voice of per.
suasion" can be heard. sale
District problems of social re-
lationships and fiscal affairs coule
better be solved by the people
here if "nomesidents will keer
their noses out Of our business.
Certainly our conditions viii,
not be improved by mistate-
ments by nonresidents. nor by
distortion of facts by self-ap-
pointed committees. he declared
THE experience of past years has
demonstrated that these commit
tees get themselves into q
labyrinth of error. and are COM
PEELED to retract and restate. sc
that their contributions to the
sum total of the problem is a mass
confusion.
Another speaker was Jennings
I. Randolph. former chairman OF
the House District Committee ano
now assistant to the president
of Capital Airlines. He said that
the economic and efficient opera
ton of the Federal Government
is being "prostrated' by the dup
lication and overlapping of Fed
eral agencies. There now are
1900 agencies as compared tc
about 300 some Is years ago, he
explained in lauding the work o1
the Hoover Commission on Re.
organization of the Federal Gov
ernment, which is seeking te
institute economy ~ aovernmenl
operation. es'
Mr. Randolph also pointed to
the danger of losing democracy
by default" as indicated by a
decrease in the national vote from
83 per cent in 1896 to SO per cent
in l948. He said such voting de-
linquency' cannot be charged up
to the District, where we have nc
vote and really want it,"
DonnelIy Gets Trophy.
The Evening Star Trophy, pre-
sented annually to delegate or
committee of the Federation for
outstanding civic service, was
awarded to Ralph w. Donnelly
delegate from the Brentwood Ter
race Citizens Association and
chairman of the Federation S
Membership and Credentials Com
mittee. The presentation was by
B. M. McKelway, editor of The
Star.
Mr.. Donnelly, 35, an insurance
man, was chosen by the Federation
to receive the awards He was
cited for his work as chairman OF
the Membership and Credentials
Committee in drafting a con-
stitutional amendment designed tt
exclude from Federation member
ship any delegates belonging tc
Subversive organizations.
District Commissioners John
Russell Young, Guy Mason and
Gordon r. Young led a list OF
honored guests representing Off
cial and civic life in the city
Several legislators also were
present. The POSTMASTER was
Ernest F. Henry. John C. l.
Sullivan was chairman of the
dinner committee. Miss Wilda
Ganeau. soprano, sang several
selections. accompanied on the
piano by Miss Frances Kuhn. The
Potomac Electric Power Co.'S
-Four KiloWats" and Mike Mehal-
lie and Archie OToole, comprising
a ventriloquist act, also enter
tanned.
Mary Washington College