Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-22
Killing Organic Act Openly
With a BIudgeon or by
InSidi0uS Slabs.
UNCLE SANS STALE
MILLION-DOLLAR CLAIM
Revival Of This Claim Against Dis
trict Revives Sixteen Million
Equity Of District.
No. ~.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES

In the excitement of meeting an
attempt to destroy the half-and-
half provision of the organic act
at single stroke Washington and
its true friends must not forget to
resist the efforts to destroy this
principle piecemeal.
Open and fragrant assault on
the National Capital edifice with
drums beating and horns blowing
is not SO dangerous as the hidden,
insidious attack which undermines
the foundation of the structure
and causes it to topple almost
without warning. The open as
sault rallies at once every fair
minded American to the capitals
support. 1t offends both the
American sense of fair play and
patriotic pride in the nations city
and arouses righteous indignation.
The indirect and covert attack is
by many not recognized and re-
sisted until it has worked serious,
sometimes fatal, injury.
The attempt to collect a mil
1ion-dollar claim for ancient in
terest on the sos bonds otherwise
than OH the half-and-half basis is
IN violation OF the organic act
And SO is the effort to eliminate
a half million of District licenses
revenue from duplication by
Uncle Sam in accordance with
this act and the practice under it
for thirty-five years. Both of
these assaults on the organic act
are proclaimed to be the fore
runners of other similar proposals,
setting precedent for many like
claims, involving the confiscation
OF millions of District revenue and
the certain overthrow of the half
and-half arrangement i'll the end.
Under the organic act the ap-
preparation by the national gov
ernment of one-half of such Dis
trict estimates as are approved by
Congress precedes the raising by
taxation of the Districts half, and
If this law were literally obeyed
there could be no possible surplus
OF District tax money unmatched
by federal dollars. A provision of
the pending appropriation bill as
sumes the existence of such a sur
plus of District tax money as cam
not possible exist without viola
ton of the organic act and takes
from the District and turns into
the Treasury of the United States
this unlawful surplus of District
tax money This provision. thus
based upon a violation of the or
ganic act, proposes vital amend
nlent of that act and IS funda-
mental substantive Legislation,
proposed as a rider on an appro-
priation bill
The so-called Borland amend
ment vitally alters the relation OF
the nation to the capital, fixed by
the organic act. i'll respect to the
improvement of the streets of the
city, TO which the nation took fee
simple title. and which the nation
made broader and more magnifi-
cent in design (and consequently
more costly to develop and main
tain) than those OF any other
city in the world
Even If one believed that any
Of these alterations in the organic
act was wise and desirable i'll it
self, he should not i'll equity urge
that it be segregated and acted
upon separately. The organic act
with its compromises, its balances
its offsettings of equities, is al
integral whole; and when the time
comes to change it radically, the
substitute for it should also BIZ
complete, rounded and balanced
in all It's parts; and its trainers ii
mofdins it should give to all the
equities OF all the parties con
cerned the same wise and fair con
sideration that was given by til,
statesmen of the last century il
their four years labor of framing
the organic act and establishing
the half-and-half principle.
q Any claim Of the United State
against the District for advances 0I
interest Of the 3.85 bonds between 1877
and 1878 would, I'm view Of the under
taking OF the United states I'm 1874 L
ssontribute propOrtionately In paymen
of these bends aud the fixing OF tha
erOuertiou In 1875 nj ODe-baf, be ont
for the surplus over One-half of thi
suterest, thus advanced by the Unite
states.
Irrespective of the conditions unde
H>A a. <1a