Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-02
FIXED ANNUAL SUM ONLY
FROM FEDERAL TREASURY
Members of House of Representa-
tives Said to Back Scheme.
ORGANIC ACT TO BE SET ASIDE
Claim That Residents of Capital
Should Pay for It's Development.
Probable Effects of the
Change.


Of the "half-and-half principle whereby
the federal government contributes one
half and the citizens of the District the
other half of the appropriations for the
support of the District
In its stead. it is proposed to have the
federal government contribute fixed
share of the expenses of the National
Capital. This fixed share has been va
riously estimated by members of Con-
gress who favor the change, at from
s., OO0, 600 to 5000 600 a year.
This proposed radical change in the af-
fairs of the National Capital has been
brought to the attention of The Star by
men prominent in the business circles of
the city and by members Of Congress
1t has become known that Representative
Ben johnson of Kentucky, chairman Of
the House District committee, is imbued
with the idea that the federal government
is paying too great a share of the ex-
penses of the National Capital. His aim,
while he is in control of District affairs
in the House, it is said, will be to do
away with the half-and-half principle.
The investigation of the finances OF the
made by his committee, is looked upon
merely as a forerunner of a recommends
ton that the half-and half principle be
abolished
National Governments Share.
Representative johnson fayors fixing
81 600 900 as the amount to be contributed
annually by the federal government to
the support of the capital. Represent
alive Burleson of Texas, an influential
member of the House committee on ap-
who has been a member OF
the subcommittee in charge of District
affairs for number of years, believes
that the sum to be contributed by the
federal government should be S6,oU9.0Oo,
which approXimates the amount at pres
ent appropriated from the National
treasury
"A calamity which would destroy the
chances of the further development of tn,
National Capital along the lines which
have been maintained since the so-caileo
organic act of 1878 became a law Wa!
the comment of a Washington bushes:
man yesterday, when the matter wa:
preached to him.
THE abolition of the half-and-h ali
principle of appropriating for the Dis
trict would create a condition whicf
would cripple the city for years to come,
said the head of one of the largest bank
ing houses in the city
IF this plan should be adopted, sait
f. j. Stellwagen. I'VE shall have ma
tional city, exclusively under nationa
control. supported wholly by taxes col
lected from its 'disenfranchised citizens
Mr.. Stellwagen took the ground that i
the organic act was repealed and fXet
sum substituted as the federal govern
ment's share in the maintenance and de
velopment of the National Capital, there
was no reason why Congress would no
reduce that fixed sum in future years
until it was mere pittance compared Il
the sum contributed by the citizens of the
District.
Another View Expressed.
1t has been suggested that Congress:
would probably fix sum of about $6,ooo,
600 should it decide to put the plan into
practice and repeal that portion OF tht
organic act relating to the haif-and-hall
principle Friends of the plan-and 1T ha'
been learned that officials high up in the
District government are looking with faNoi
upon it-declare that it would be better
for the District to fight for as large
fixed appropriation as possible, instead o.
fighting to retain the half-and-haiI pTiil'
ciple.
Residents of the District who have
gone closely into the matter, however,
are utterly at variance with this opln-
ion They believe that 1t would be q
return to the days before the organic
act of 1878, when the great burden Oh
the District was placed almost en-
tirely upon the citizens. The Natiohai
Capital, they say was then little better
than a disgrace to the country
Should the federal government not
pay its share for the support ana de-
veiopment of the capital, the burden
would necessarily fall upon the resi-
dents To keep the development OF the
city up to the standard which mas peen
set will necessitatc a large increase
in the taxes collected This means an
increase in the rate Of taxation
Detrimental in Two Ways.
AS the matter was put by resident
of the District:
Takes will be increased The prop
erty taxed will be less valuable be-
cause of the higher tax it must pay.
Real estate in Washington will dimin-
ish in value \ new assessment Will
he necessary, and still higher rate
of taxation will be demanded to bring
in the required revenue from property
which has deprecated in value.
1t is predicted that every form or
taxation will be invoked to make il
possible to collect sufficient revenues
to carry on the work of developing the
capital The citizens of the District
will have no voice - levying these
taxes They have no voice in the pres
ent levy. I Taxes on inheritances, on
stocks and bonds, taxes on incomes,
taxes on every conceivable form OF
property, will be the outcome Of this
movement. it is predicted. Burdens Of
taxation will be so great that much
of the wealth which has come to
Wash ington in recent years will go
elsewhere.
Washington is the national city.
President Taft has so declared many
times Recently in Michigan he re-
iterated this declaration, and pointed
to the nations pride in its capital,
which was rapidly becoming the most
beautiful city in the world. If this be
true residents of the city argue. the
government should pay its
share in the upkeep and further de-
of the city.
Developed on Big Lines.
Washington was laid out OF big lines.