Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-02
ORGANIC ACT UNDER FIRE
Members of Lower House of Congress
Bitter in Criticism.
BUT FEW TO MEET ONSLAUGHT
Representative Prouty and Others
Declare for Abolition of System
Dividing Expenses.

Al the end OF series OF attacks upon
the haif -and-half principle of appropria-
tions for the District of Columbia ou the
floor Of the House yesterday afternoon
Representative Prouty OF Iowa. a repuh-
lican member of the committee on the
District Of Columbia. formally announced
that he is preparing Il bill 70 do away
with the Districts organic act and &"
chang" entirely the system "f raising
revenues here Mr Prouty was bat one
of several members Of Congress WHO
found fault with the District and lis peo-
pie, but his criticism was not 80 violent
as We're the attacks by REPRESENTATIVES.
Sims. SIsson and Cullop
Representative Johnson OF Kentucky
had started The onslaught with his Wig
orous lashing of the District IA the morn
ing and the District : friends We're ,cW
when il came to debate Representative
Cannon. Representative Taylor and Rep
resentative Rurleson. however. tiied to
stem the tide by the presentation Of a
different viewpoint.
Because of the speeches. the District
appropriation bill made little progress
Yesterday. Starting in the morning with
discussion of the Borland amendment to
charge the abutting property with the
cost of all paving and street surfacing
operations. discussion which lasted four
hours. the dt bate grew fierce.
Repre- sentative Cannon and Represent
ative EurlesoTh ende avored to keep the
Borland amendment from passing. be-
cause they said il changed an existing
method Of taxation without the slightest
attempt at discussing the changes
thoroughly in committee ho"eNef Win
the impetus given it by the members
who called the District "A haven Of tax
dodGers. and applied other choic" char
actefizations. ii Went through with but
weak-voiced opposite in the vote.
Judge Prouty Of Iowa speaking on the
general subject of the methods 81 ap-
propriating here. said:
II have for the last thirty DAYS been
listening to experts in this ci:y upon the
value OF real estate, and il there Is any
one thing that has been established, IT
IS that the real estate in Washington Is
leaping in its values.
This naturally led me to inquire the
cause of this remarl.a bic increase. ET.fA
one knows that the question OF taNauoii
is an important factor 1t always ne
Ilres i'm the values This led me- TO a gen.
mayors of every city in the United states
inuuirine as to the assessed value or
property in those cities. Ii appeared
without going into detail that real estate
values in every city Of the United states
is more than twice in its assessment what
il is I'm the city of Washington.
I'm my own city We pay ID mills on
every dollar of real estate value. In
Washington it is II mills. In addition. in
other cities every man mas to pay Tor
snecial improvements. I'm Washington
that is all absorbed by the general gov
ernment and by general taxation. That
is not fair.
"Furthermore | undertake To say that
the fact that tn" government owns larse
property here throws no burden upon
property of the individual owners IN the
District On the contrary, it relieves
them OF a large burden.