Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-14
SECTION 8
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republican leader. said tho last two
speakers did not express the unanimous
opinion OF tho republicans.
Advises Against Reck1essness.
IT do not agree" said l1r Mann, that
! the city Of Washington ought to be the
most beautiful city In the world, regard
less OF expense. I think the city OF
Washington ought to be beautiful city,
and 1t is; but / would not make 1t the
most beautiful regardless of expense.
nor do l think it essential to make it
the most beautiful city in the world.
Il believe the half-and-half sysem in
the main has worked we'll 1 don't under
take to say whether 1t is the most per-
fect system. but think it is better than
anything yet proposed to take its place.
- am opposed to the provision of the
House (sectfon 81, and while the House
Senate amendment striking out this pro-
vision. l believe that later, when the
seats are fully occupied and we can get
representative vote, the House will
take the same position against this
amendment that 1t took the other day
on the substitute for the George taxation
bill.
II believe the present system In the
main produces harmony and is fair"
Upholds Present System.
Prefacing his statement with the as
sertion that taxation should be uniform
and distributed in accordance with the
wealth Of the territory and Individuals
to be taxed. Majority Leader Under
wood, discussing the proposed invasion
Of the half-and-half principle. said:
so far as this matter is concerned.
although I believe the people Of the Dis
trct ought to pay a fair share Of the
burden OF taxation, I am among those
who believe the District Of Columbia
does not belong alone to the citizens Of
the District of Columbia, but to the
people Of the United States. This is
the capital of the greatest country on
earth. We should all be proud of 1t.
We should make the nation proud of it,
and we must make expenditures here
and establish an example for other cities
OF the United States that cannot under
ordinary circumstances be expected to
expend similar amounts.
There is no city in the world where
the government itself owns more prop
erty. We cannot overlook the fact, for
instance. that fire and police protection
Is given United States property here in
the District of Columbia. I do not think
all these burdens should be put on the
people Of the District, but that where
the government derives benefits it should
be willing to pay for 1t.
Fairness in Distribution Discussed.
"As to what is fair distribution here
I am not prepared to say. 1 doubt II any
one else here Is able to say and sustain
his position by facts A number of
years ago an agreement was made that
half and the District one-half. I think
tnat has been a fair agreement We
may have outgrown It. But no one is in
position today to say whether this agree
nent Is just or not
would ike to see the committees
IN charge Of this matter authorize the
appointment Of commission Of disin-
tereeteo persons to go out and make an
investigation and consider what is a fair
and equitable division Of the taxes be-
tween the people Of the District of CO.
lumbia and the federal government.
When We ascertain that and know, ac-
cordfng to the report of disinterested men,
how much of these burdens should be
borne by the District of Columbia and
how much by the United States for
the benefits which the latter receives,
then Congress can legislate intelligently
on this subject.
Position Of House Conferees.
The House conferees intend to cling as
long as possible to their disagreement
with the Senate amendments approprt-
ating increased school facilities at the
Cook and Powell buildings and for a
new site in the sixth division. They base
this on the general assumption that there
is something wrong in the school sys-
tenn in the District Of Columbia, and ex-
pressed 1t that way on the floor of the
House. Privately it is understood mem-
bers Of the appropriations committee
have said they admitted the very serd-
ously overcrowded situation at the spot
IN the school system where the new
not agree to spend any more money on
the system than they have already
Explanations of this sort, especially by
Representative Sisson Of Mississippi. drew
criticism Of the committee view from
Representative Mondell of Wyoming, who
described one of the wooden buildings
used for an annex near the Powell
School as. "a firetrap." He said:
'In the little country town where I
live my children do not have to go into
such a building as that. The gentleman
from Mississippi has laid great emphasis
on the statement that upon the showing
made some time ago the city Of Wash
ington had better and larger facilities,
compared With the school population, and
more air and floor space for students,
and SO forth, than any other city in the
country. I do not know as to the &C
curacy Of those statements. I live in a
little town Of thousand people, and I
know that our school facilities there are
better than they are in this beautiful
capital.
Relates His Experience.
81 happen to know something about
those particular schools, the Powell and
the Cook The nearest school to my
home is eight blocks away. A year ago
it was weeks before we could find school
accommodations for our four children,
and then 1t became necessary to send
the smaller children ten blocks to