Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-09
FEDERAL !: LOAN 10. BILL
Proposed Advance to the
ID Il District.
~ ii
TAKENs UP IN HOUSE
MR. BABcocK WOULD REDUCE
AMOUNT TO so, ooo,o 600.
Shows Necessity for Providing for
Extraordinary Expenses
Of. the District.
TAKENs ZIP ii IN HOUSE

Extraordinary Expenses
Of the District.
The ten, million dollar loan bill and the
conference. report ON the union station bill
constituted the calendar Of the District of
Columbia business before the House today
District day. 1t was 1 o'clock before Dis
| trict business was reached. Mr.. Babcock
| called up the loan BILL
| An attempt was made by Mr.. Babcock to
obtain an agreement regarding the length
! OF debate on the measure, but Mr.. Cowherd
| (Mo), who had control Of the time in oppo-
sition to the bill. stated that while there
was no disposition to waste time, several
| members had indicated their desire to be
| heard. e.-.(-
Before proceeding with an explanation OF
| the bill, Mr.. Babcock had read an amend
ment, which he said he intended to offer,
cutting the amount of the loan down to
| 100000.
| Mr.. Cannon wanted to know If Mr.. Bah
| cock did not believe that subsequent Con-
| question of District finances. In other
! words" exclaimed Mr.. Cannon, does the
gentleman believe that when we die wisdom
will take Its departure?"
| "CiAs We uOQt uOls IelOIIc0 NAI. DIV
! cock, and Mr.. Cannon sat down amid
laugh. D
The Proposed Amendment.
The text Of the amendment, which was in
the nature Of substitute for the bill. is as
| follows:
BE it enacted, &C., That the Secretary Of
| the Treasury is authorized and directed to
| anvance, from time to time, to the District
| Of Columbia, in the manner now prescribed
| by law, out of any moneys IN the treasury
| not otherwise appropriated, such sums as
may be required to meet the obligations OF
| the District of Columbia on account Of It's
share OF the extraordinary expenses for
| municipal improvements heretofore specih-
cally authorized, or to be hereafter specif-
| cally authorized, by Congress, and as ap-
| preparations therefor shall have been or
| may hereafter be made by Congress-: Pro-
vi6ed, That the total advances hereafter
| made under this act, taken In connection
with those heretofore made under the acts
of February II. 1901. and July l. 1907, shall
| not exceed the sun Of s6.OQ0,O00. which said
| total sum, SO advanced, shall be repaid to
the treasury of the United States from and
| after July /, 1908. out Of the taxes and rev.
| enues collected for the support OF the gov
eminent of the District of Columbia. at the
| rate Of 100000 per annum Of the principal
| together with interest upon the deferred
payments at the rate Of two per centum
Section 2 That all acts or parts Of acts
in conflict with, this. act are hereby re-
pealed.
Mr. Robinson Und) asked a number Of
questions regarding statements made in
| the report on the bill, and wanted to know
| in how many years 1t would take the Dis
| trict to get out OF debt.
| The Districts Per Capita Tax.
| Mr.. Babcock stated that the per capita
| tax in the District was i$17.9S, which was
greater tf1ansthe per capita tax in the larg-
est cities in the United States. ...-... q.
! Mr. Payne (rep., NJ W interrupted to say
| that in his opinion 1T made no -dlIerence
! what the per capita tax amounted to, It
| was the rate of assessment that counted
The proper way to handle the question.
he commended, was to make up a budget Of
| the probable expenses OF the, District ana
| then make the tax rate in accordance.
Mr. Babcock contended that the burden
| Of the extraordinary improvements should
| be distributed equitably over period OF
| time.
The Districts share of expense for i'm
| proyements already authorized. he said
| would amount to something like S4,O00G00
| The proposition for the loan would dlstrt-
| butte this amount equltably over period or
| twelve years, and the revenues would pro-
| vide for the interest and a sinking fund
| and would not bear heavily on the tax
| payers.
| Mr.. Cowherd's Opposition.
Mr.. Cowherd took the floor to oppose the
| BILL He asserted that the people Of the Dis
| trict were not taxed as heavily as the peo-
| pie of other cities.
Representative McDermott of New Jer-
| sew denied this sta tement positively. He
declared that Newark, N. j.. did not raise
half of 100000 which Mr.. Cowherd read
| as the amount from report OF the bureau
| of labor.
| clared was required to raise so much
money as Washington.
Mr.. Cowherd questioned the accuracy of
Mr.. Babcock's figures. and delivered long
! argument against the bill. expressing the
belief that to make annual advances was
much better than to saddle big debt on
| the District.
| marks Mr.. Babcock said he wanted 1t an
| derst God that Mr.. Cowherd had questioned
| the accuracy Of official figures to- make his
showing.
"But have used figures from the same
| bureau" replied Mr.. Cowherd. Mr.. Bah
| cock asserted that the figures he presented
had been prepared at his request and es-
pecialIy for him Mr.. Cowherd said his
| figures were taken from the official report
| of the same bureau.
Mr B,lrkett of Nebraska, member Of
the appropriations committee, was given
time by Mr. Cowherd to oppose the bill Be-
| fore Mr.. Burkett began Mr.. Perkins Of New
| York observed that In his opinion there was
great extravaganza IN the administration Of
| the District government. Mr.. Cannon ex-
| blamed that over 81 100000 was necessary
! to pay the debt the District owed the gen.
| eraI government.
| Declares Loan Unnecessary.
| Mr.. Burkett began by saying he had never
seen business men SO extremely anxious to
run into debt as they seemed to be here in
| Washingtonys .s2tj!s
MI. Burkats maintained that the District
b e. i a pasS se the mOans
improyemerits. He maintained that the
loan was not needed. Besides this there
was a little over 100000 left to build the
| terminal, etds Hes asserted that In twelve
| years, if theL~payAs you go" plan was fol-
| lowed. SEQ, 600, OO0ewould be spent and no
! debt incurretk
Mr.. Powers Supports the Bill.
| At the conclusion Of Mr.. Sims speech
Mr.. Powers Of Massachusetts, took the
| floor in support Of the bill. He briefly
| reviewed the political status Of the District
| of Columbia. He. said the people here had
| no political rights, no representation in
| Congress, not even to the extent the Ha-
waiiana had Th9y were taxed and the
/ doJf FOR md no he.