Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-17
Measure introduced by Rep
resentative Crisp Is Rushed
by the Committee.
MAJORITY OF MEMBERS
NEEDLESS OF PROTEST
haif-and-Hslf Plan of Appropriation
for the District to Be
Abolished.

Inc crisp bill to abrogate the half-ana-
nan plan of appropriation founded on N.
covenant between the United States and
the District of Columbia was rushed ar
OF the House District committee today
win a favorable report The speed with
which it passed by the eleven members
OF the committee was criticised hy three
republican members of the committee.
who registered a strong protest against
report on a bin which they have not
studied. These three members were Sam
uei r. Winslow of Worcester. Mass; 4.
l.. keister of Scottdale Pa, ami Samuel
Wailin OF Amsterdam, \. Y. They asked
to be recorded as not voting for a matter
on which they had not been allowed time
TO gain sufficient information to enable
them to vote intellgenty.
The Crisp BILL introduced November aG
simply knocks out the half -and-half plan.
IL makes no other provision. Should II
become law tomorrow the District OF
Columbia would be permitted to raise
taxes from real estate and personal prop.
erty and would be required to ask Con-
gress for permission to spend IL. An
amendment which will be tackled to the
OIL requires that the Commissioners
snail send to Congress estimates of their
proposed expenditures. but must not ex-
ceed the revenues which they will be all
lowed to raise
Text of the Bill.
The wording of the Crisp bill is as fol-
lows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
| of Representatives of the United States
| of America In Congress assembled. that
| section three of the act of June H. 1878.
entitled An act providing a permanent
| form of government for the District of
hs nd he. -
amended by striking out the following
| words in said section: Congress shall
| appropriate the amount of - per centum
thereof. and the remaining 10 per centum
| OF such approved estimates: so said
section, when amended, shall read as
! follows:
: To the extent to which Congress
snail approve of said estimates shall
be levied and assessed upon the taxable
property and privileges i'm said District
| OF Columbia other than the property OF
the United States and of the District of
Columbia
Section :. That all laws or parts OF
| laws. which authorize one-haif OF the
expenses of the government of the Dis
! trict OF Columbia be paid out of the
Treasury of the United States are here
by expressly repealed
Members Show Feverish Activity.
Feverish activity has been shown bv
the District committee i'm getting be-
fore the House bills which tear down
f.! the existing conditions. Although the
regular meeting day of the committee
is Thursday, special meetings have been
! called frequently in order to aid some
scheme to destroy, with almost ex-
! plosiye suddenness. the carefully work
edout plans of Congress in providing
! for the National Capital There has
| been little opportunity for the newer
n fee tn tax
| a study of the problems presented by
some of the bills on which favora BILE
| reports have been made, and the action
of the three republicans in refusing to
vote for matter of SO great import
as dissolution of a contract between
| the federal government and the District
of Columbia has been expected in cer-
| tain quarters.
The members present at the executive
meeting of the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia today were Repre-
sentatives Johnson, Wallin. George.
Claypool Caraway, Keister. Reed.
Crosser. Igoe winslow and Thompson.
mo Time Like the Present"
1t is understood that when Repre-
sentatives Wallin. Winslow and Keister
asked that the matter be not rushed
so speedily. the other members re-
minded them that there is no time like
the present.
The Crisp bill is in shape to be
offered az an amendment to the Dis
trict appropriation bill, which probably
will be taken dp tomorrow. IL is the
impression in the House that this will
be done tomorrow-at any rate before
the House is through with the bill
eventually. OF course, if the appropri-
alton bill goes to the Senate with this
destructive amendment IL will put the
burden of defending or repudiating the
District organic act upon that body.