Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21
NATIONAL CRUSADE
TOASS|ST CAPITAL
American Civic Association
Opposes Change in Half
and-HaIf Plan.
WOULD MAKE CITY MODEL
FOR ALL IN COUNTRY
Representatives in Congress Will Be
Urged to Uphold Pres
ent System.

composed OF a membership OF thou
sands of individuals and many hun
dreds Of affiliated societies in all parts
of the United States. will throw the
weight of its influence against the pro-
posed Legislation in this Congress look
ing toward a departure from the half
and-haif principle concerns the
financial policy Of the District or CO.
lumbia.
The association has always cited
Washington as a model city for other
American cities, and has contended
that Washington is in no sense the
capital Of the District Of Columbia. but
the capital of the entire nation, and
that its citizens are citizens of the ma
tion at large. In pursuance of this
policy the association will at once ad-
wise its members of the present situa-
tlon and urge upon them their re-
sponsibility as the real owners and tax
payers of the federal city for prompt
and decisive action in asking that their
representatives in Congress join to de-
feat the proposed departure from the
established half-and- half principle.
Referred to Mcfarland.
The present situation was, Friday.
submitted to the president of the
American Civic Association. J. Horace
Mcfarland Of Harrisburg. by the secre-
tary, Richard b. Watrous of this city.
who. yesterday received from MIR. Nc
Farland the following letter which sets
forth clearly the attitude of the asso-
citation:
Il learned with astonishment of the
proposition in the present Congress 10
further burden the city of Washington
by details of oppressive financial legfsla-
ton which, if applied to any other city
In America, would provoke resistance
equivalent to that which caused the
dumping of tea into Boston harbor a
good while ago. If the reports of the
present proposals which reach me are
true, that 1t is now sought to load upon
the city of Washington more than half
the cost of municipal government and
to put that city at the mercy of Con-
gress for the whole cost of great improve
ments forced upon il by authority outside
the taxpayers, ii is high time that the
real owners of Washington. the whole
people of the United States. wake up and
take care Of their own capital city.
Il have in scores of American cities
heretofore called attention to the fact
that any incidental taxpayer anywhere
in the United States has more real inf1u-
ence upon the conduct of municipal gov
ernment in Washington than any resident
taxpayer in that city. / have tried. and
expect to continue to try. to have the
people of the United States realize that
Washington is their national city; that
their just and proper pride in 1t entails
a just and proper responsibility which
cannot be discharged without interest,
and. indeed, at times without interposi-
ton.
Points Out Unfairnese
"The people of Washington are,
know, deeply and vitally interested in
having it the most beautiful capital city
in the world. To expect them. however
to provide the cost Of the vast public inn
provements required to effect the COM
pletion of the plan laid down by the inn
mortal founder OF the republic is exactly
as fair as it would be for Congress 10
impose upon the city of Chicago, Tor in
stance, a complete adaptation OF the
Burnham plan for revision, at the con-
venience of Congress and in order that
the United States might have a show city
in Chicago for the benefit of all the
people. but at the expense of the people
of Chicago
The American Civic Association is
vitally interested in seeing the Washing
ton plan carried out. SO that the great
national city could serve as a civic ex-
ample for pride and emulation and for
the making of better citizens for all
the country. 1t believes. however, that
the whole country is perfectly willing and
quite able to bear its proper share OF the
burden of doing this work, and the intro
duction by Congress of methods not very
different from those which seem to be
the idea of the Mexican dictator of the
moment is not i fully believe. at all III
accordance with the feeling OF the people
of the country.
..At the forthcoming annual meeting OF
the American Civic Association | shall
hope that We may have a carefui ana
serious discussion of these problems OF
the federal city, which may have the ef-
feet of enforcing national attention TO
the situation and of bringing home TO the
people of the whole country such feel
ing of interest and responsibility as VIII
impress upon Congress the real wishes
of the nation at large as respects their
National Capital
Appeal for Cooperation.
Letters will be sent at once to the en-
tire membership of our association. ask
ing the support Of not only our members,
but their cooperation in spreading the
information and directing a nationwide
expression of disapproval of the proposed
legislation" says Mr.. Watrous.
'In our communication TO members We
shall point out some of the proposals
that are not clearly apparent as the
Crisp bill and which, if anything, are
more dangerous than that bin. People.
generally, see clearly the danger OF the
Crisp bill and now that il Is to be con-
sidered by Congress through the regular
channels il is quite reasonable TO sup
pose that il will be defeated. They do
not, however see clearly, IL at all, the
more pressing danger IN the paragraph IN
serted by the appropriation committee in
the appropriation bill, which provides for
the turning over to the general Treasury
of the United States the revenues of the
District not specifically appropriated by
the bill. That paragraph reads as fol-
lows:
Section s. That to the extent the rev.
enues of the District OF Columbia for the
fiscal year 1915 shall exceed the propor-
tionate part of the appropriations made
in this or any other act and chargeable
against said revenues, the same shall be
covered into the Treasury of the United
States to the credit of miscellaneous re-
ceipts.
Clause Held Dangerous.
"As explained by Mr.. Page in tho
House Thursday, IL the bill should pass
as reported, the District would for the
fiscal year 1915 contribute a little more
than seven million dollars. which would
be supplemented from the Treasury or
the United States by an amount or only
s4172726 to meet the appropriations
made in the bill as reported. SUCH M.
Page said on the floor of the House. 10
the Interpretation and meaninsoaof Sec
ton eight as written In the prekent ap.
propriation bill This Is denh1te de-