Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-02-26
sHoW.s,TAxES ARE LEVIED ITO
PROVIDE SOFT SNAPS FOR
RESIDENTS OF WASH ~
T. '5t1-, fs-E.tsl - sEgae

d .G d.
BY Clyde H. Tavenner, Special Wash;
ington Correspondent.
Three million dollars is to be the
saving to the people Of the country
as the result Of the fact that Con:
gressman Ben Johnson Of Kentucky
is Chairman of the House Committee
on the District Of Columbia. He dis
covered that the people in the states
are paying one-ha'f of the taxes for
those who reside in the District of
Columbia, and, until he began to
make a fight in Congress they did
not know it. Even some Of the MEM
ibers of Congress did not know 1t.
The practice of the government
standing one-haf of the taxes for
residents Of the District Of Columbia
is an old one. 1t has been going on
for years. Custom is hard thing
to break down. But there is really
no more reason why the people Of
the states should bear half Of the
expense OF maintaining the District
OF Columbia than there is why they
should pay half Of the taxes Of the
residents of the capitals Of states.
The old policy Of the government to
stand one-half Of the taxes makes
Washington fine place for tax dodg-
ing millionaires to build their palaces
It might only be expected that when
Mr.. Johnson began his fight pressure
would be brought to bear on him to
force him to abandon it. 1t was. The
great newspapers of Washington flay-
ed him and ridiculed him; the Sens
ate set itself up against him. he was
opposed on the floor of the House,
and he had to fight, and fight hard,
for every inch of Roadway he made.
But Mr.. Johnson took the attitude
that he was sent to Congress to serve
the best interests Of all the people
and not for the purpose Of perpetu-
ating soft snaps for the wealthy Of
the District Of Columbia. Mr. John
son, after hard fight succeeded in
striking more than three millions Of
dollars out of the last appropriation
bill for the District of Columbia.
The people back in the States are.
taxed to carry on their local city,
county and state governments; and,
in addition, are taxed to pay one-half
O. all the municipal expenses Of
Washington" declared Mr.. Johnson.
Congress quarrels and fights within
itself over the question as to wheth-
er one or two battleships shall be
built, and without batting an eye or
asking question votes the price OF
dreadnought to Washington each
Congress. Widows OF the old soldiers
are compelled to fight and scramble
Tor, an eight dollar or a. twelve dollar
pension, but the widow Of Wash
ington policeman is paid pension OF
fifty dollars month and no questions
asked, while the eight dollar pension
ed widow back in the states is tax
ed to help pay It. The same may be
said Of the old soldier himself.
The county school teacher bears
her part of tax burden in order to
pay the school teach $1,000 for teach
ing $50 hours in the schools of Wash
ington. The school child back in the
states bears its proportion Of tax at
home for school books, and then pays
a tax to buy school books for the
child of the millionaire who lives in
Washington. The farmer on the rur-
al route in the states must carry a
lantern on his road or travel in the
dark, while he pays his proportion OF
the cost to put electric lights .on the
rural routes which lead out Of the
City Of Washington to the limits Of
the seventy square miles which con-
stitute the District of Columbia.
1.-THE school child back in the
states is given desk room in It's
humble school at cost of dollar
or two, while that child bears its
proportion Of tax which is imposed
upon the American people to give
desk room costing twelve hundred
and ten dollars for each child which
has entered the school age during the
last five years in the City OF Wash |
ingtOn."