The Washington herald., 1913-12-18

has In sight OF its own revenues some-
thing over y60Oo00o. II the original Crisp
bill were placed in the bill as an amend
ment, the District would be face to face
with the obviously impossible task of
spending 81, 900 900 from q 100000 fund,
without any authority under the law to
borrow money.
Whether the ..gum-shoe" bill will be
adopted is another matter. A just de-
cision from the chair unquestionabiy
would hold that as an amendment to an
appropriation bill the measure is sub
legislation in appropriation bills. Ex-
ceptions to this rule are permitted only
under what is known as the Holman
rule, which permits new LEGISLATION on
appropriation bills when such legislation
may reasonably be expected to reduce
expenses intended to be met by the
pending bill
Not Under Holman Rule.
As the measure reported out by q
minority of the District committee does
not go into effect until July /, 1916, OBJ
viously 1t does not como under the pro-
visions of the Holman rule and is sub
ject to a point Of order.
Unless the House finds itself still con-
sidering the District bill next Monday,
the Crisp measure may come up as
separate bill on that day, which is re-
served for District business under the
rules OF the House. With the House in
its present temper. a large majority
manifesting no disposition to study or
discuss the proposition on its merits. 1t
stands an excellent chance Of being
passed.
Chairman Fitzgerald. Of the Appropria-
ton Committee, yesterday announced
himself opposed to ''overturning over
night the present method OF making ap-
preparations for the District. and to any
plan which contemplated local self-gov-
ernment for the District.
Il do not feel that there Is anything
sacred about the so-caIled organic act"
he said, "and am not particularly en-
amored of the half-and-half plan Of d.
vidlng District expenses between the
government and the District, but I am
not in favor OF overturning overnight the
present form, which IL took years Of
study to perfect. Neither am In favor
OF turning over to the residents of the
District all the powers of administra-
ton which would place the government
OF the United States in a subordinate
position in its own capital.
for the District a fair tax rate, and to
whatever extent the revenues raised
therefrom are inadequate to meet the
needs of the municipality, Congress
should supplement the revenues from the
Federal Treasury"
Views of Mr.. Page.
Representative Page, chairman Of the
subcommittee which framed the present
District bill, and who is in charge Of
the measure in the House, does not con-
cede that the Crisp amendment, or any
rider of a similar nature, will be adopted
by the House.
when We were criticised for inserting
In our bill a provision for the refunding
of certain excess revenues of the Dis
trict to the Federal Treasury" said Mr..
Page yesterday. 81 knew that this much
broader question soon would be projected,
and the District would thank US for TAX
ing a course which the District must re-
gard as less inimical to it,
Protests by the three members who
voted against the bill at the conference"
were given short shrift by the ''gum-shoe
eight" Representative Winslow. OF
Massachusetts,, and his two colleagues,
Wallin and Keister, pro-
tested that in dealing with SO serious a
question. a question the committee MEM
bers should be given an opportunity to
study carefully the relations between the
and the District with a view
to judging the proposition on its merits,
and not summoned over the telephone
to a special meeting where a bare
OF the committee, without con-
with the remainder, would bol