The Washington times., 1913-12-18
CRISP UNDECIDED
ABOUT OFFERING BILL
Fee of District Finance Plan
Says He May Submit 1t
Monday.
Continued from First Page }

CONTINUED from First Page
and the requirement that the same
shall be covered into the Treasury OF
the United States as miscellaneous re-
ceiptS''
This is the section OF the appropriation
bII which Congressman Page of North
Carolina said was more favorable to
the District than the Johnson-Crisp
cIple entirely. Mr.. Mondell. however,
Was critical Of the less drastic refund
proposal of the Appropriations Commit
tee, saying:
sThis provision strikes at the vitals OF
the plan under which the District has
oeen operating for many years. I
nave neither the time nor the inclina-
ton 70 discuss the wisdom or propriety
of the arrangement under which the
Federal Treasury is pledged to pay one
out this is not the time. this bin is not
the place to attempt to change that
plan. That fiscal plan is one of the
features OF an arrangement under
which the General Government has
taken over and administers the affairs
OF the District The arrangement in
Its general features has been consider
ed wise and advantageous to the ma
ton. and IL the time has come to modify
it. the modification should cSme after
that relationship between the District
and the General Government Of which
the haIf-and-half plan is but one Of the
factors.
Congress Partly To Blame.
The gentleman from iowa, Mr.
Proufy, during the debate on Tuesday
said II was no secret that the people
OF this town look with suspicion and
disreepect on Congress hope thar is
rot true II IT is may not Congress be
at least partly to blame. Suspicion and
disrspect seldom exist without some
slight foundation. What has becn the
attituoe of the House as voiced on the
tsoor Of late toward the District. I am
certain that there IL much work cf q
constructive character In Legislation for
the District that needs to be done. Have
we performed our. duty in this regard?
! think not i cannot recall any discus
sion much less the enactment of any
Useful constructive legislation for the
District in many months. On the con-
t-ary there has been a perfect Hood CT
criticism and fauitfinding Of the District
posals of legislation obnoxious to them
and of doubtful justice and wisdom, and
have been pressed with heat and haste
District batting has become a popt-
sar pastime In certain quarters and un-
der these circumstances 1t is perhaps
ret to be wondered at IL the people Of
the District are suspicious and critical
of Congress.
@our Duty To Deal Fairly"
Whatever Congress may conclude to
90 in the future our duty in the present
IS to deal fairly and CONSIDERABLY with
these people from whom we have taken
the franchise and whose city council
re have constituted ourselves. 1t may
oe tnat some different plan may be de-
Yfod 70
future conditions, but it is neither fair
sor logical for Congress to overturn, in
Wnole or In part, one feature of the ar
raneement under which the District 10
Governed and administered without con-
1deraton of the situation as a whole,
One thing is certain. I do not antici-
p2te that the constituents of any of US
Sil receive more at the hands Of the
trtct may receive less 1t is not partfcu-
ldrly logical in my opinion, to argue
aga,nst the present arrangement under
@hlch the Government Is pledged to pay
naIf Ia OF me expenses Of the District on
the ground that the sums thus expended
ould, IL divided up on the basis Of
population, amount to certain sums for
each State or locality of the Union.
On that theory 1 should be entirely
justified in voting against river and
harbor appropriations in voting
against the Panama canal expenditure,
1either of which can be Of direct bene-
III 10 my constituents, because the
sums thus expended, il divided up
among the States, would give each a
certain sum. The question is, is the
plan fair one, is the expenditure
proper, are we bound TO abide by the
arrangement made until changed as a
WIoie? As to the last question, there
can be but one answer.
Would Restore Amity.
1t is natural that the people of the
District should desire such apropria-
lions as will maintssn a creditable
government and provide satisfactory IA
eilities here As citizens of the ma
rion, of which this is the Capital. we
should all be of the same mind. with a
yiew of restoring amicable relations
between the District and Congress, IL
such have been in any wise disturbed,
J desire to express the hope that those
charged with legislation for the Dis
t-ict will in the future give at least as
much time and attention to the work
Of constructive and helpful legislation
as is given to the resurrection of ancient
and doubtful claims, to fau.tffnding and
criticism of the District, its officers
and it's people and to plans for the con-
fise stion of their revenues"