The Washington herald., 1914-01-12


because Congress is not willing that d
be spent. together with an equal sum
from the Treasury, for the many neces-
sary improvements recommended by
the District Commissioners. Obviously
this is direct violation of the terms
of the act of 1873 and, placed In the
form of legislation, means nothing
more or less than its repeal In this
respect it occupies an equal footing
with the bill introduced by Representa-
tive Chsp, of Georgia. The Crisp
measure simply puts into plain terms
a formal dissolution of the financial
partnership between District and ma
ton, leaving no other means of sup
port for the Capital City after the next
fiscal year than the taxes paid by resi-
dents of the District of Columbia.
The situation which would be created
by the enactment of this measure is
perfectly clear. The present cost of
maintaining the Nations Capital is
about SI2,oooooo a year, of which the
people pay $6,oooooo. 1t follows then
that il the Crisp bill becomes law
Washington taxpayers must produce s.
where they now produce SI-that is if
the Capital City is to be maintained on
a scale at all beftting the Capital of a
nation of oS!ooo,ooo people. We have
sufficient confidence in Congress to be-
lieve that members will stop and con-
slider whether it will be possible or
fair for the people of Washington to
pay $I2,oooooo q year in taxes where
they now pay S6,ooo,ooo, and to increase
this sum as the needs of the city grow,
the Federal government meanwhile con-
stantly adding to its real estate hold
ings acres of the city's most valuable
property, thus removing it from the
tax lists.
Another alternative, of course, is to
have half-Capital, So,ooo,ooo Capital,
to cut in two each year the appropria-
tions for care and lighting of the
streets, for police and fire protection,
for public schools, for public health
preservation, for every item Of expense
in maintaining city of the importance
OF the seat of the government of the
United States. We refuse to believe
that Congress or the people they rep
resent desire this.
Both of the situations described
above will be averted, because fairness
and sound judgment will prevail. To
some extent there exists in the House
of Representatives a belief that the
half-and-half adjustment of expenses is
not equitable today, as it was in 1873,
and if sufficient number entertain this
view the people of Washington Ger
tainly will not oppose an investigation
10 determine the question. For this
purpose an admirable plan has been
suggested by Representative Under
"oSd' >ohtShipidlihS tHC appointment
by President Wilson of a commission
to make thorough inquiry and study,
and to fix an equitable division of ex-
penses.
The Herald believes that the half
and-half basis would be found so
nearly to balance that the time and
money spent by the commission might
well be regarded as wasted, but we
have no word to utter against Mr.. Un-
derwood's plan. We only hope that
Congress will give the whole matter
earnest consideration and that no spirit
of antagonism to the District shall gain
ascendency But if the Underwood
plan is to be adopted it is essential that
the conhscatory section of the appro-
priation bill and the Crisp measure
shall both he eliminated