Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-12-02
Opposes Present Law By Which the Expenses Of the
Municipality Are Borne By the Government While
Property Owners Go Practically Free..-Hs Measure, ii
Successful, Would Save State Of Georgia $l5O,OOO
Annually, Now Paid for City Expenditure

Congressman Charles R. Crisp of
the Third Georgia district has just in
troduced in the House bill to amend
the act of June 11th, 1878, entitled "an
act providing a permanent form Of
government for the District of Colum-
b:a," by repeating so much Of said act
as authorizes one half the expenses OF
the District of Columbia, viz, WASH
ington City, to be paid out of the
Treasury of the United States.
And in so doing the able young
Georgian has created stir and sensa-
tion among the millionaire property
owners of Washington who, should the
Crisp bill become a law, will have
hereafter to pay the entire expenses of
their city government instead of only
half of it, as they have done for years,
Uncle Sam footing the balance of the
bills.
Under existing law the Treasury Of
the United States pays half the NUM-
,cipal expenses OF the Government at
Washington, paying yearly about six
million dollars.
Owing to this graturity, the rich
property owners of Washington pay
the very small tax of about FIVE dollars
thousand on their realty. Mr.. Crisp
thinks this wrong principle and un
just to the general tax payers of the
United States and stated in his plat
form when a candidate, for Congress,
that if elected, he would seek to re-
peal it, He knew that it would bring
down the criticism of the special in
terests on his head if he pursued this
course, for the "hit dog always yelps."
The "yelp" has been heard already,
and the Washington papers are handl-
ing the subject very vigorously, op-
posing Mr. Crisp's bill, as a matter of
course. Upon this line the Post says,
in part:
Friends of the District now antici-
pate rocky legislative journey for
the annual appropriation bill for the
municipal government when that
measure finally goes to the floor of the
House for general debate and amend
ment. The Crisp bill, they believe, Is
the forerunnery of a fight, to be led by
Mr.. Crisp, assisted by MI, Johnson, the
latter chairman of the District COM
mittee, that will have for it's object the
complete separation, in so far as fis-
cal matters are concerned of the Dis
trict and Federal governments.
How successful will be the fight is
thing for conjecture Heretofore,
while MIR. Johnson has been success
ful in the House in eliminating, by
means of the deadly point of order"
many items of apparant importan 90,
the District chairman has lost in his
efforts to force a financial separation.
Usually, too, the matters taken from
the bill in the House at the instance OF
Mr. Johnson have been reinstated in
the Senate.
Mr. Crisp is considered one of the
leading parliamentarians of the coun-
Try, and he is preparing a point OF
order which he believes will stand
When instituted, against any provis-
Ion Of the District bill that calls for
money to be paid jointly from the
federal Treasury and from the fund
collected by taxation in the District.
he declared that Washington should
Oe made to pay its own expenses, and
lnls too, without the assistance of any
KIND which would come from a tax on
eoVernment-owned property here.
inis property, he said should be
treated on par with other govern
1uent property in any other city He