The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-10
Half And Half
An Arrangement Which Greatly Profits Washington Real /
 Estate Owners
(By Clyde HI. Tavenner, Special Washington Correspondent of
 This Newspaper.)

HIS NcWSpdpcr.J
 Washington, Oct 10.-The national capital is greatly agftated-excited would be a better word for it-over Ithe proposal of the Democrats in Congress to investigate the financial arrangaemcnf that exists between the federal government and the District of Columbia, This situation is of interest to the country at large inas- much as the question has arisen whether the District is in debt to the government to the extent of $21,000,- 900. Chairman Ben Johnson, of the House District committee, says this debt exists, and he is in favor of forcing the District to pay it.. As a trust-and it is a trust in the truest sense of the worlds in a state of panic that borders on hysteria.
 The United States government and the District of Columbia are in part nership as far as paving the costs ton are concerned. The government pays half this expense out of the public treasury, and the District pays the other half from taxes and other revenues. Naturally. the tax, rate Is exceedingly low, but regardless of Washington are much higher than in any other city of the size in. the country. So high are rents, and so highly prosperous, apparently, are the real estate dealers, that the indi- vidual members of Congress lately have been showing a very objection able (to the real estate men) dispo- sition to inquire into the manner of which the District expenses are met.
 The agitation came to a head after MT. Johnson was made chairman or the District committee. In line with the Democratic policy of administer ing the government economically, he at once took hold of the situation. He hadn't been Investigating a week before he found out that the Federal government had loaned the District a sum aggregating twenty-one mill lion dollars, and that this debt was still piling up under the arrange a dollar for each dollar in taxes co1- lected by the District. He at once proposed that the accumulated debt should oe paid back, and that the half and half. agreement should cease.
 The organic law of the District Chairman Johnson says, clearly spe- cifies that the twenty one million was loaned with the specific agreement that it should he paid back, and he proposes to insist that it be paid. Moreover, he says the ''half and half
 
 sis of law and since it is working more to the benefit of the real estate trust, and the wealthy non-residents who own magnificent social palaces here, than to the men and women who work and pay rent, he wants the law changed.
 Mir. Johnson's committee will meet here in November, when a thorough Investigation of the whole subject will be made. In the meantime the realty barons are threatened with nervous prostfation, and the holders of the gas and traction frahchises are but little less frightened. The trac- ton magnates, especially, are wor- ried, for the fear the next step win be an attack on their vested rights. Under these rights the street car systems of Washing there are three of them, owned largely by the same mem have so arranged that a resident of the city has to pay at least two, and in some instances as high as eight fares if he desires to make trip between certain points within the city limits.