Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-03

half the land in the city of Washington
at present. for it must be remembered
that all of'the streets and avenues and
public reservations are the property OF
the government The government did not
purchase this land In the beginning.
1T was given to the nation by the
owners. with the idea that the govern
ment would make great national city
here. The government laid off it's
streets and reservations and then sold
hundreds of lots. for which it received
the money. The government even con.
Quoted land lotteries here Many Of
the lots were bought in England as
speculation.
any one else to suggest that the federal
government should not continue to pay
it's share of the cost of maintaining and
developing Washington. the National
Capital
Views of Commissioner Rudolph.
Cuno H. Rudolph president of the
board of Commissioners, is unqualifiedly
opposed to the proposed change in the or
ganic law of the District. In an inter-
view he said:
half-and-half principle Of appropriating
for the District. The present organic law
provides the best system of government
the District has ever known. and it ought
unite in their efforts to defeat such
change as has been suggested.
The Engineer Commissioner. Major Jud-
son. declined to discuss the proposed
change in the organic law.
Robert n. Harper. one of the organ
izers of the Chamber Of Commerce. and
prominent in business here. voiced his
disapproval of any change in the meth
cd Of appropriating for the District.
Not only would it be an injustice on
the part of the federal government to
discontinue, paying its half of the ex-
penses OF the National Capital. but it
would be great burden to the citizens
Of the District and would work much
hardship. The government gets more for
its money here now. l believe. than 1t
could get If its property was taxed as is
that of the citizens Of the District
Provisions of Organic Law.
The act of 1878. called the organic law
of the District in sections Il. 16 and II
provides:
THE said DISTRICT Commissioners shall
submit to the Secretary of the Treasury
for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1879,
and annually thereafter. for his examina-
ton and approval, statement showing in
detail the work proposed to be under
taken by them during the fiscal year next
ensuing and the estimated cost thereof
ITO the extent to which Congress shall
approve of the Commissioners estimates
Congress shall appropriate the amount of
80 per centum thereof.
and the remaining 80 per centum of
such approved estimates shall be levied
and assessed upon the taxable property
and privileges iR said District. other than
the property of the United States and of
the District of Columbia.
That act pledges Congress to appropriate
80 per cent, nothing less. of the amount
of the approved estimates of the Com
missioners. and authorizes the remaining
80 per cent. nothing more. to be levied
upon the property of the residents of the
District.
Every appropriation, therefore. made
exclusively from the revenues of the
District. or in excess of One-half from
the revenues of the District. is in di-
rect violation of the law, and costs the
District two dillars for every one ex
pended.
The attack upon the organic act of
the District. so far as the method of
appropriating for the District is concern
ed. has been developing for a number
of years. and only now finds it's cumina
ton in the campaign which. it is said.
will be made against the act in Congress
at the coming session. Citizens of the
District believe that the time has come
to settle this matter and to prevent. If
possible, future violations of the law, so
far as the half and half principle is
concerned.
Reduces District Revenue.
The non-observance of the organic act
has eaten slowly but surely into the rev.
enues of the District to the extent OF
. many millions Of dollars. From the first
dangerous precedent. established in 1891,
thirteen years after the passage of the
organic act. appropriating wholly from
the District revenues the insignificant
60 Iof no h01r q
amounts SO appropriated have increased
from year to year. until they aggregated
at the end of the fiscal year 1903, $2,S47,-
2S3.J1.
In the last two years this amount has
been greatly increased, and 1t is esti-
mated that the sum is now nearly
81 .O0C. 600. -
That large sum. with interest thereon.
including the interest upon the same
amount made unavailable for appropria-
ton for District purposes from the fed
eral Treasury. approximates the amount
of the present floating debt.