Evening star., 1909-03-02
.PAYING OFF DISTRICTS DEBT
MR.. MACFARLAND ADVOCATES
CHANGE IN SYSTEM.
Urges Separation of Current and Ex-
traordinary Expenses as Solu-
ton for Tax Problems.

| "The question of separating the ex-
| traordnary and current expenses of the
| District, and a provision whereby the
| former may be paid back to the United
| States Treasury gradually and in stated
sums. is an all-important question to the
| people of this city; it is vital question
and should be agitated and repeated and
repeated and agitated until the argu
ment in it's favor will be so strong when
presented to the national legislators that
legislation favoring the scheme cannot be
| denied
The foregoing was chosen an i'm
promptu subject by District Commissioner
H. B. F. Macfarland last night for an
address before the members of the
GEORGETOWN Citizens Association at their
meeting in Fishers Hail. Wisconsin ave
nue. and n street A large crowd was
present. and at the conclusion of Mr..
Macfarland's talk he was generously ap-
plauded and given a rising vote of thanks.
| The meeting was what was termed a
| visitors night by the members of the
association, and i'll addition to the Dis
| trict Commissioner the association had
| as its guest Louis T. Shoemaker. presi-
dent of the Brightwood Citizens Asso-
citation, who gave short address upon
affairs in the District of Columbia gen
orally.
| In his talk to the association Mr.. Mac
| farland devoted himself almost entirely
to a. discussion of local finances He
said in part:
Though there has been a gradual raise
| in taxes there seems to be no real reason
| for it, and it has been brought about by
| the failing to segregate the current from
| the extraordinary expenses of the COM
munity. Were this plan adopted, as sug-
gested by the District Commissioners,
| the question of high taxation would be
settled definitely, for the simple reason
| that we would not be compelled to pay
back big sums for extraordinary expenses
out Of funds which should be set aside
for the needed current expenditures.
Paying Off Gradually.
The scheme, we have mapped 1t
| out, provides for the payment of S3OOuOO
annually at a rate of per cent interest
per annun into the United States Treas
ury for money expended in making ex
| traordinary Improvements, d little over
$500, 900 TO satisfy and gradually pay off
| the debts as a result of the old floating
| aud bonded indebtedness. and devote the
| remainder of the $4,000. 900. which is our
| annual income. to the current expenses OF
| the city. This amount will be ample to
| satisfy all needs in the latter account,
| and with its unhindered use there could
| be no reason for the confusion Of the past
| and present in the matter of our finances.
| THE congressional opposition to this
| scheme is difficult to find in any tangible
| shape. but the opposition is there. never
| thelesS. So far AS ! can observe it APP
| pears to be in the principle of pay as
| you go. and the fear that at some re-
| m9te da:e expensive Improvements may
| be provided for which would embarrass
! the district and annihilate the repay
| ment sclt me. Neither of these forms of
| opposition can stand a vigorous attack,
| because the first appears to he unreason-
| able in principle and the second lays alb
| solutely within Congress and Congress
alone
Mr. Shoemaker told of the pro-
visions tor improvements in his section
of the city made by Congress i'm the re-
cent District bill. He also reviewed the
financial scheme of separating the cur
rent and extraordinary expenses and eX.
pressed his approval of il.
Humors of Lobbying"
At the conclusion of the addresses it
was decided not to transact any business
and all pending matters We're referred
over to the next regular me .ting i'm April.
The evening closed with d buffet lunch
con, during which A. X. Par
rs, the chairman OF the association :
executive committee. created a great deal
Of amusement by reciting his first expert
ence as a Ipt yiSt i'm Congress, i'll the
| associations efforts to have street legis-
| lation for Georgetown favorably acted
upon.
"Wn-n you I"1oy up on the hill" Nh.
| Paris declared. You catch glimpse of
| the led 81 Tie committee you are after.
YOU are chased to the rear of it, and
make your exit in the middle. When you
| have finished you don't know where you
| stand or what YOU have accomplished.
| All, it's great thing for the unsophisti-
| Gated business man-it tends to increase
| his pXDerieOce SrpatlS.'