Gilpin observer., 1913-02-20
WASHINGTON NEWS
BY Clyde II. Tavenner.


Washington, Feb. 18.-Three mil
Hon dollars Is to be the saving to
the people of the country as the re-
suit of the fact that Congressman
Ben Johnson OF Kentucky is Chair
man Of the House Committee on the
District Of Columbia. He discovered
that the people in the states are
paying one-half OF the taxes for those
who reside in the District of Colum-
bia and. until he began to make
fight in Congress, they did not know
1t.
The practice of the government
standing one-half Of the taxes for re-
sidents Of the District Of Columbia is
an old one 1t has been going on for
years. Custom is a\ hard thing to
break down. But there is really no
more reason why the people of the
states should bear half of the ex-
pense of maintaining the District of
Columbia than 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 Washing
ton fine place for tax lodging mil
lionaires to build their palaces. 1t
might only be expected that when
Mr.. Johnson began his fight, pres
sure would be brought to bear on him
to force him to abandon it. 1t was.
The great newspapers of Washington
flayed him and ridiculed him; the
Senate set itself up against him, he
was opposed on the floor or the
House, and he had to fight, and
fight hard, for every inch Of head
way 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 per
petuating 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 tie District c. Columbia.
"Tne 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
of all municipal expenses of the City
of Washington, declared Mr.. johnson.
Congress quarrels and fights within
itself over the question as to whether
one or two battleships shall be built,
and without batting an eye or asking
a question. votes the price of dread
naught to Washington each Congress.
Widows of the old soldiers are com
PEELED to fight and scramble for an
eight or twelve dollar a month pen
sion, but the widow of a Washington
policeman is paid a pension of $50 a
month and no questions asked. while
the eight dollar pensioned widow
back in the states is taxed 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 teacher $1,000 for
teaching 230 hours in the schools OF
Washington. TIE 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 rural route in the states must
carry lantern on his road, or travel
in the dark while he pays his proper
ton 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
constitute the District of Columbia.
"The school child back in the states
Is given a desk in its humble school
at cost of a 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 Washington.