The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-02-05
WOULD REFUSE
To AID DISTRICT
Washington is Tax Dodg-
ers' Heaven,
SAYS CONGRESSMAN JOHNSON
Who, With Proof, DenOunces
Unequal Taxation in the
National Capital.
GETS REPLY FROM UNCLE JOE"

Washington, Feb. 1.-Represen-
tative Ben Johnson, chairman of the
House Committee on the District of
Columbia. to-day told the citizens of
Washington exactly what he
thought of them for insisting that
the Federal Government pay half
the municipal expenses. The Dis
trict of Columbia Appropriation
Bill was under consideration in the
House, and the Kentuckian, who has
made deep study of affairs in the
National Capital, denounced the un-
equal system of taxation here, an
nounced his intention of reporting
from the committee an Inheritance
tax for the city as soon as possible.
and aroused the interest of mem.
bers from all over the country by
telling them how much each State
contributed to the support of the
District of Columbia during the last
fiscal year.
Mr.. Johnson created sensation
when he said:
Recently one of the commission
ers of the District of Columbia told
me that one of the richest and most
powerful men in Washington said
to him that he had made 1t his pol
icy to have influential members of
the House and Senate purchase real
their assistance might be had to-
ward keeping down taxes and Sc
curing Improvements"
Uncle Joe" Cannon, who had
been finding fault with Mr.. John
sons plan to have the District
pay its own expenses, quickly re-
7 joined:
81 have never owned a foot of
ground in the District of Columbia"
Mr. Johnson congratulated him.
Washington is the heaven of tax
odgers," said Mr.. Johnson. Here
the rich can live and die more
cheaply than anywhere else on
earth"
Mr.. Johnson remarked that. al
though he did not believe members
of Congress in large numbers were
investing in real estate in Washing,
ton. or had ever done. so. still the
people of the District undoubtedly
did owe much to certain members
of the House and Senate who had
done so in the past. He said the
remark made by the unnamed bus
mess man and repeated to him by
one of the commissioners, was typ
ical of the attitude of prominent
citizens of the National Capital.
Mr.. Johnson produced table
showing how much money the va.
rious States. on the basis of popula-
ton, contributed last year to the
support of the District Government.
Congress appropriated approx
mately $11.OO0.0OO for the Distric
Government. of which between five
and six millions of dollars came
from the Federal treasury and the
rest from the revenues OF the dis
trict. He referred to the money
from the national Golfers as a Sub
sidy" paid to the District.
Kentucky contributed s15i.S0t.
he explained, and Indiana $751;.
s93; New York, s614,1O3; Pennsyl-
vania, s5l6.49S; Ohio. s321.223:
Tennessee. $47.2ls, and West Vir
ginia, SS2,2S2. with other States in
proportion.
Here is the way Kentucky's CON
tribution is divided, according to
the chairman of the District Com
mittee:
Schools. $39,Sl1; streets, sewer,
and water mains, Sl5.09G; police
$12.7OO; improvements and repairs.
$2S.751; salaries and health, $10,-
342: interest on sinking fund, $l2.-
1888: lighting. $5,7sS; fire deNar'
ment, SS,30S: charities and GORGE
lions. Sl7.373. aud miscellaneous
s3.995.
Mr.. Johnson said when Congress
first undertook to pay half the eX-
penses of the city OF Washington Il
embraced only 5000 acres, mostly
swamps and forest. and that now II
was paying half the expenses of a