The Washington times., 1912-08-23
TIME TO PULL DOWN THE scAREcRows

any measure of administrative reform is proposet
in Washington, for certain interests to assume ar
apopectc hue, display symptoms of fits, and screect
forth that they have detected flendish conspiracy
against the sacred "halfand-half principle"
The more obviously necessary the proposed re-
FORM the apparent that it would interfere with
some special privilege, some private or corporate
graft just much strdent and terrifying does
this outcry become
1t tseems to be the deliberate purpose of the ben
efciaries Of special privilege in this town 20 prevent
any betterment of governmental conditions by ter
rorzing public opinion with the scarecrow of abolition
of the half-and-nalf plan. Nothing else is assumed
to be worth while, everything else must be sacrificed
in order that that particular fiscal arrangement may
be protected
No matter if taxation is outrageousy inequitable
no matter if the poor man does pay vastly more ir
proportion than the rich man-it will not do to lei
his protest get voice ear lest in the process OF
readjustment the precious half-and-half plan ma,
suffer
This time, new broderings are being stitched or
the familiar costume of our pet scarecrow We are
ing devious and twisting underground hole, through
which he intends presently to drag this community
into regime of single tax!
The haf-and-half plan is in danger, and all the
horrors of the single tax threatened, unless we
shall Immediately close down the lid on the tax in
quiry. There must be no investigation, nc
more complaint, no more allusion to conditions tina
for decades have been notoriously vicious in prin
ciple demoralizing to public morals, degrading tc
their benehciarles and oppressive upon their victims
In effect, we are told, frst that the charges oi
the George committee not true; second that ever
if true, nothing ought to be said lest in the effort tc
reform them Congress might 60 too far
The first part of this remarkable plea is withou
effect, because everybody knows that these charges
ARE true that taxation is nequtable that its heav
lest burdens are imposed those least able to pay
and its lightest incidence on those best able.
Therefore, this weak defense of bad condition.
must be buttressed with appeal which, it is hoped
will get to everybody in the town. In substance i
is urged that the half-andhalf plan is the WHOLE
TOWNS graft; that EVERYBODY is interested il
maintaining it; that the poor man, even though he
pays more taxes, in proportion, than the rich man
still pays less than he would be obliged to pay the
halfand-half plan were abolished Therefore the
poor man is urged to keep mum about the palace
dweers big slice of the graft, in order that mis- owr
little slice may not by any chance be nterfered with
1t is respectfully submitted that this argumen
portrays the moral quality of this community fl
colors that will hardly appeal to Congress.
This is the very sort of argument most calculated
to convince Congress that the half-and-haf plan il
vicious and perversive.
The truth is that there is no possibility of thi
nation, of this Congress or any other, undertaking I,
saddle upon the people of this little city the burder
of maintaining the great establishment of nationa
governmental headquarters. 1t would be utterly i'm
possible Berlin, Vienna, Rome, ST. Petersburg, al
| the Continental capitals, are imperial cities. Th
| national revenues are used to make and keep then
fitting testimonials of the wealth and power of thei
countries. The architectural monuments, their ar
galleries, their thousand substantial evidences of i'm
peria status represent the partnership of the natio
with the municipality. These are truly great cities
to which the burden of complete self-support wou
not be so unbearable as it would in the case o
Washington.
This bogie about abolishing the partnership be
tween Washington and the nation ought to be takel
down. The everlasting display of it is injuring, ant
| has injured, Washington vastly in the respect AM
confidence of Congress. lnsistent outcry against an
possible measure of reform is calculated finally t.
precpitate radical and perhaps most regrettabl
measures.
The charge that Henry George proposes to tr
out his single tax theory on Washington is just a
far-fetched NOT ONE OF THE RECOMMENDA
TIONS OF THE GEORGE COMMITTEE REPRE-
SENTS ANYTHING NOVEL OR UNTRIED. Annus
assessments of realty, board of assessment appeals
assessment of property at full value-these and tn
rest of the recommendations represent merely moe
crate application of measure that have wrought goo
results in other cities They stand for an effort