Mr. PRESS. We discuss it every time we get together. I happen to be a resident of Georgetown myself and I am somewhat conscious of some of the things that happen. Mr. MCMILLAN. I don't own a piece of property in the District, but I do have complaints along that line. Mr. PRESS. Every time I start to look into it and compare what is going on, at least with respect to property in my neighborhood, and after I finish talking with the Director of Finance, and the Director of General Administration, Mr. Lowe, they convince me they are doing a very objective and fair job in levying these assessments. Mr. MCMILLAN. If you and the members of your organization are satisfied, I have no reason to object. Thank you very much, Mr. Press. Next we have Dr. Ellis Haworth, Chairman, Legislative Committee of the D.C. Congress of Parents and Teachers. STATEMENT OF DR. ELLIS HAWORTH, CHAIRMAN, LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS Dr. HAWORTH. Mr. Chairman, my name is Ellis Haworth. I am Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and Teachers. We submitted at the hearing before the Senate Committee a statement regarding certain matters concerning the tax situation which made some suggestions that would have obviated the need for any of these taxes that are before this committee this morning. The Senate committee did not see fit to adopt our suggestions, but I would like to submit a copy of our statement to you for the record so your committee may have some information with regard thereto. Mr. MCMILLAN. Without objection your statement will be made a part of the record Dr. HAWORTH. Specifically, we suggested that in the budget of the District of Columbia the cost of operating the National Zoological Park and the cost of operating the National Park Service, totaling something like $7 million, that those two items be transferred to the budget of the Department of the Interior rather than to be paid for by the taxpayers. As we pointed out, the District of Columbia is the only locality in the whole country that has to pay for the operation of national parks in its boundaries. No other focality has to pay for that. We also suggested that the Highway Department be restricted to projects that could be financed out of its gasoline tax revenues and federal money under existing law. There is an item of about $5 million being allocated to the Highway Department and we think the Highway Department is not entitled to that $5 million. Last week there were three articles in the Washington Post by Mr. Joseph Alsop dealing with the school situation, and I think in a very objective and interesting fashion. He proposed as a means to cure some of our local problems that a crash program of greatly improving the public school system was necessary in order to attract more middle class white people back into the District. The fact that for some years we prided ourselves on not owing any money is one of the reasons why our school system is in its present sad state at the present time. The Senate committee recommended borrowing authority of about $25 million a year additional. If we had borrowing authority of about $265 million over the next five or six years amortized over a 30-year period at $16.5 million a year at the rate of 4 or 4%1⁄2 percent interest, it would liberate $32 million per year now in the budget for the school construction program that could be used to pay for the new salaries for teachers and firemen about which Senator Bible raised the point that there was no money available. I would like permission to extend my remarks on that in a statement that will be ready tomorrow. Mr. MCMILLAN. Without objection you may do so. Dr. HAWORTH. We realize you cannot do anything about that, but because of the continued parsimonious limit on the borrowing authority our school system is in a bad situation and until we recognize that desperate measures are needed to cure desperate situations, we will not see any improvement in our local school situation. Mr. MCMILLAN. Thank you, Dr. Haworth. We want to build a record for the conferees on the tax bill. On some of these items, this committee has held no hearings whatsoever. It is regrettable we had other committee meetings this morning that required the presence of Mr. Whitener and other members, but I hope we can go to conference without further delay. I was rather disappointed to read in a leading newspaper about this bill having been passed by the Senate whereas when we passed the bill about a year ago nobody said anything about it. That is the kind of reporting we get in this committee. The committee stands adjourned. (Thereupon, at 12:10 p.m. the Subcommittee adjourned.) 65-205 0-66————7 OCTOBER 9, 1965.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. MCMILLAN, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 11487] The committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 11487), to provide revenue for the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. PURPOSES OF THE BILL The purposes of H.R. 11487 are as follows: 1. To increase the District of Columbia income tax revenues. 2. To increase the District of Columbia tax on motor vehicle fuels from 6 cents to 7 cents per gallon. 3. To increase the borrowing authority of the District for highway construction from $50,250,000 to $85,250,000, an increase of $35 million. 4. To authorize the District of Columbia Commissioners to abate the unpaid portion of any tax when, in their judgment, the amount of money involved would not warrant the cost of collection. 5. To authorize the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners to participate with Maryland and Virginia authorities in comprehensive planning for transportation facilities for the National Capital region. NEED FOR INCREASED REVENUES The revenue increases provided in H.R. 11487 were requested by the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. In making their request, the Commissioners stated that increased expenditures will be necessary in many fields if the District is to maintain the level of services and the facilities needed if the city is to fulfill its function as the Nation's Capital. It is estimated, for example, that by 1971 some 167,000 children will be enrolled in the public school system, which is an increase of 18 percent over the present enrollment of 142,000. Thus, in addition to eliminating part-time sessions and providing suitable physical facilities in the years ahead, it will be necessary to provide a considerable number of new teaching positions in the years ahead so as to maintain approved pupil-teacher ratios throughout the system. The operating costs per year of public education in the District rose $28.6 million over the period 1959-65. Aside from general actions on personnel which accounted for $15.9 million of this increase, two other major factors led to higher costs for education. The first of these was the necessity to provide 1,035 additional teachers to educate 29,000 more pupils in 1965 than in 1959. The second was the city's effort, supported by the Congress, to achieve a relationship of pupils to teachers in regular classes of 30 to 1 in elementary schools and 25 to 1 in secondary schools. It is apparent that an additional increment in these costs for purposes of improving education will be needed for the years ahead. Your committee is of the opinion that the District of Columbia school administration's efforts in the matter of school operating costs have been highly effective, in keeping the Nation's Capital abreast of other cities of comparable size in this very vital respect, as is indicated in the following chart. Current (operating) expenditures per pupil in average daily membership in school years 1956-57 and 1962-63, in public school systems of U.S. cities whose populations in the 1960 census were between 500,000 and 1,000,000; and relative rank of District of Columbia in each 3 Based on average daily membership for school year 1961-62. Sources: "Current Expenditures per Pupil in Public School Systems," by U.S. Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. "Selected Statistics of Local School Systems, 1962-63," by Research Division, National Education Association. The Commissioners also pointed out that the District must go forward with necessary health and welfare programs, and that matching funds will be essential in order that the District may utilize many such programs as approved by Congress. The need for these extensive health and welfare services arises in large part from age and income |