Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-02
Calls It "a Bill for Economy

be added an equal sum out of the Treas
ury of the federal government.
Calls It "a Bill for Economy"
This bill should be entitled For econ
omy of government 1t Is the best bill
ever reported by any committee in charge
of District affairs. 1t contains a perma-
nent system OF improvements. 1t con-
tains a policy of paying the debt of the
people Of the District of Columbia 1t
contains the policy of the extension of
parks for the people of the District. 1t
contains permanent policy for the beau
LITIGATION Of the District of Columbia.
thing in which every citizen of the Union
Is interested. 1t economies in the con-
duct of the government. 1t takes ST.
$50, 900 every year less out of the federal
Treasury than is taken now. 1t compels
the people of the District to pay for their
permanent improvements out of the rev.
enueS whfef they raise from taxation
every year, and there is nothing be-
hind the bill to brighten anybody. 1t
is bill prepared after the most
deliberate consideration. 1t Is a bill
i'm the interest of the future of the
District of Columbia 1t is bill which
prompts men to do what is best for the
people of this District in the days that
are to come, and there is no man on the
of the aisle he may sit upon, who ought
not to be in favor of It's enactment into
law. =.
1.-The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
JohnsoD did not state the facts. He
talked about the bonded debt, and this
bill has nothing to do with the bonded
debt. This bill deals with the floating
debt, and it compels them to pay a fixed
sum every year, and at the same time
appropriates for the development of the
District so that every citizen in America
will be proud of Washington when he
comes to visit it,
Representative Borland of Missouri de-
clared that this bill would fasten upon
Congress and the District for the next
twelve years 1.-The same iniquitous sys
tenn of fiscal revenue-the haven for the
tax dodgers for years. 1t is to enable
the District to carry on these expenditures
for permanent improvements at the eX
pense of the people of the country"
Representative Burleson of Texas, de-
Tending the measure, declared 1t did not
enlarge the powers of the Commissioners
in a single particular.
Limits Commissioners Powers.
What else does this bill do?" asked Mr..
Burleson. 1T places a limitation upon
the power of the District Commissioners
so that they cannot. in making their est-
mates, absorb all of its revenues for cur
rent expenses. AS was so forcibly said by
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Mann),
it says in plain terms to these officials,
You shall not absorb all the revenues of
this District for current expenses, by in
crease of salary for favorite class here
and an increase for another set there, an
enlargement of this departments force
here and enlargement of this divisions
force there, but you shall bring your eSti-
mate down to a common-SenSe basis, pro-
vide for current expenses and also set
apart substantial portion of the rev.
enue to meet what has been termed per-
manent or extraordinary improvements
In other words it provides for an intelli-
gent and systematic plan for expanding
the District revenues
Representative Sims OF Tennessee
said that he would prove to the
House the real object of the bill.
II propose" he said. Ito every gen
tleman supporting this bill: If you will
begin on line OF page and strike out
all the real estate part of this bill and
leave every bit of the fiscal part of it
in, will vote for it and work for its
passage. VIII you do it?
Scheme to Buy Worthless Land"
mo. The niger in the woodpile IS
a niger in such a little woodpile that
it is all niger and no woodpile. This is a
twenty . iion-dollar scheme to buy land
that nobody will have, land that nobody
| can use. by act of Congress. Is this good
bill? Is this the best bill ever intro
duced in Congress. as claimed by some
OF its supporters? 1 will prove to you
how good bill it is. II this is such
| a good bill, why do you want to ram
| 1t through the House on a motion to
| suspend the rules. That Of itself shows
what it is. The bill that has been re-
ported has been on the calendar ever
since June. 1910"
Our committee never had a day al
lotted to US on which to consider it,
Mr.. Smith declared.
81 do not KNOW" replied Mr. Sims,
heatedly, why you grab up this indie
feasible and abominable measure and try
| to jam II through this House over every