Evening star., 1914-12-28
Henry B. F. MacfarIand Pre-
pares ''TaIking Points"
on the Subject.
SUGGESTS EVERY CITIZEN
KEEP FULLY INFORMED
Praises Work Of Committee of 100
and Of Local and National Civic
Organizations.

Henry, 3. F. Macfar1and, chairman Of
the executive committee of the COM
mittee of 100. has prepared a number
Sf talking points at the request of
several members of the committee, COW
erins the controversy now going on
as to preserving the 'half-and-half
plan" of appropriations for the District
Of Columbia.
Mr.. Macfarland said today that he is
being asked what the executive COM
mittee of his organization is doing to
aid in preserving the 'half-and-half
plan,' to which he says, the obvious
response is:
What are you doing yourself?"
He said that more persons ought to
familiarize themselves with the merits
of the argument in favor of retaining
the "half-and- d-half plan" of appropria-
tions. and for that reason he has pre-
pared the talking points"
Fortunately" he said, many citi-
ZenS all over the country as well as
here are working together in the COM
mon cause as result of the efforts of
the executive committee last spring
and this winter. Publicity of the need
for such action and the reasons sup
porting it was not as necessary this
winter, thanks to all that was done
tETOugn tNe executive cOIu11lttSe pS
local and national civic organizations
last spring. This aroused representa-
tive citizens everywhere and informed
them so that they could intelligent1y
petition Congress by personal inter-
view and letters rather than by formal
petitions
Friends of Capital Strengthened.
Such national organizations have
been continuously informing their con-
stituents, notably the American Civic
Association, which held its meeting
here in December chiefly for that pur-
pose. and consequently in tactful and
courteous WAYS the hands of the
friend of the National Capital in Con-
Sress are being strengthened, and
senators and representatives generally
are being given the facts which are
the argument for the maintenance of
the present arrangement.
The executive committee once more re-
minds members Of the committee of one
hundred and of the other civic organiza-
tions that this process of exercising the
A.. right of petition should be continued
steadily and tacfully until the rider on
uie thstrict appropriation bill destroying
the 'rziif-aad-haE plan has been finally
defeated
Personal requests of personal friends
III Congress TO examine the facts are the
nest effective means. We have every
reason TO expect that the subcommittee
OF the Senate committee sil appropriations
VIII strike out the rider and that the full
committee will so report to the Senate,
ami that the Senate will approve that
action. but the active support of all pub
Hc-spirited men and women is necessary
and the best way to give IL is by
presentation of the facts. a change OF
fortS-four votes III the House would de-
feat the rider when the matter is voted
upon again there.
THE executive committee is ready to.
furnish any senator, representative or
.It.
committee reports and United states cen
HuS bulletins containing the history of
the National Cap tai, the reasons or The
hafand-haIf plan and the conlparative
taxation OF Washington and the other
American cities.
Founded for Nations Capital.
Boiled down, these facts arc:
That Washington and jefferson found
ed this city for purely governmental pur-
poses as the capital of the alton
That 1t is and must be absolutely
under control of Congress.
That fve-sevenths o. the original area,
stiil the most valuable. was given for
nothing 10 the United States
That IL has the fee simple title IN
~" street and reservations q Peters 232)
ana cIn sell or close them at will that
II ltss Withdrawn large additional tracts
from i1Naticn for its own purposes and
by exemptions.
That ut least onc-lialf i'll value of real
estate nov belongs to the United States
which can pay no taxes.
That the ma gnihcent plans of t,ecrpe
Washington and the reports Of Congress
sional committees alike show that the
whole country was to maintain it's capi-
1al and moi simply the few residents
That under the 'haIf-and-half nJan
worked out by five congressional COM
Initees, including two Joint commit
tees studying between 1874 and 1878,
I....t led in. he oot of
called by the Supreme Court OBS U. S.
$40, the organic act and the .constitu-
tion OF the District and not to be
lightly or hastily changed. Washing
ton has made its present progress.
Progress Depends on Plan.
"That continued progress depends
upon the maintenance of the half and
half plan.' that the people of the coun-
try generally are proud of what has
been done and want Washington to be
in all respects the best capital on
earth.
That continued progress depends
per capita annual contribution, about /
cents. which they make under the
haIf-and- half plan as against SIT per
capita assessed against District resi-
dents.
That our feIIow-countrymen are not
dSkiHS ioI Tue IepSdI u Tue Hall
and-half plan. but, on the contrary
want the government to do more for
its capital in carrying out the plans
for its physical and moral improve
ment-
That those plans presented to Con-
gress during the past fifteen years by
the District Commissioners and others
require annually the appropriation OF
al available revenues OF the District
Of Columbia and corresponding equal
contribution of the United States II
progress is not to be halted
THAT it would be impossible for the
900 residents to do properly the
task OF the lo0.000,000 Americans In
maintaining the common capital
That a permanent uniform propor,
tion of contribution conveniently one.
haIf) is absolutely essential at once te
the capitals progress and to Justice
for its Inhabitants. as otherwise, in the
language of Mr. Blackburn of Ken.
lucky, who reported the organic act
to the House, the whole matter would
depend on the 'whim and caprice Of
each recurring session. This is why
grn,, Rayard