The Washington herald., 1913-12-16
Con6scation.

H1ct apPIOPflduOn uh es iePOitsu ~
the House of Representatives which
IpeIIs progress.
: There is one clause-aimed directly
at the haIf-and-haF principle, which
has proved itself just, equitable, and
satisfactory since the organic act of
- IS7S-that is distinctly reacionary.
This clause provides for the con6sca-
bon of 81, ,500,0 900, in round numbers,
raised BY taxation of the residents Of
{ Washington, and placing tn same in
the Federal Treasury.
p. Considering merely the provision
made by the Committee on ApprOpria-
lions for the maintenance Of existing
institutions in the District of Columbia,
we have no special complaint to make.
For the public schools, for the care of
the streets, for the fire department, and
for lighting purposes appropriations
sufficient for immediate needs are rec
commended, but with no encouragement
to extravaganza or even expansion.
Funds for the health department and
the police department are inadequate,
if the estimates of the District Com
missioners, who ought to be in the best
position to determine, are given con-
sideration.
Taking the bill as whole, however,
we are disposed to accept without
murmur what is offered for the actual
everyday needs of the city. As
matter of fact, the total is $S4, 900
greater than that for the current year.
But not one cent for progress! The
bill submitted to the House ignores
practically all of the new projects for
which the Commissioners asked appro-
priaions. The people of the District
of Columbia contribute revenues to the
amount of Sz,6S7,174 for the support
of the Nations Capital and for neees-
sarJ and desirable improvements. In
stead of matching it promptly and
eagerly with another S7,6S7,174-the
share of the entire nation under the
organic act of 1s78-we find Con-
gress proposing to con6seate 81, ,500,-
600 of the money contributed by
Washington. The con6scation clause |
in the bill, which The Herald believes
means nothing more nor less than the |
repeal of the vital principle of the Or
sanie act Of 1878, is as follows:
That to the extent the revenues of
the District of Columbia for the fiscal
year 1915 shall exceed the proportion
ate 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 miscel-
'laneous receipts.
The attacks on the half-and-half
principle have not been made in secret.
Washington has been forewarned. The
present appropriation bill maps out the
first battlefield. Every organization
and every individual interested in the
welfare and progress of Washington
should array himself against the en-
aetment of this unjust and pernicious
provision. 1t should be stricken from
the bill forthwith.
Washington has friends In the Sen
ate, but it viii not do to let the pro-
posed legislation advance so far as
the higher body of Congress. 1t ought
TO be laid low at the start, and we be-
Eeve that some one in the House with
d sense Of fairness can be found who
win undertake the task.
Senator Martin, Democrat, of Viz
ginia, chairman Of the Appropriations
Committee and member of the CON-
mittee On the District, Of Columbia,
made his position clear yesterday when
be said: i
| believe that the haIf-and-haK
principle Of appropriating for the Dis
trict Of Columbia Is fair and lust.
This plan has worked well for more
Ihan quarter Of a century, and see
no good reason for changing IL at this
ime. In fact, see every reason for
n