Evening star., 1914-02-01
WAS AUTHOR OF THE LAW
ENACTED BY CONGRESS
Review of the Conditions Which
Preceded the Adoption of
the Measure.
PRESENT PLAN EQUITABLE
Distinguished Kentuckian Says, in
Event of a Change, Federal Gov
ernment's Share of Expense
Should Be Increased.

''The repeal of the organic act of the
District of Columbia. whereby the fed
eral government pays one-half of the
expenses of the National capital and the
citizens OF the District the other half.
would result in plunging the District into
the same condition of chaos that existed
here before the enactment of this law
thiTty-six years ago said former Senator
Joseph c. s. Blackburn Of Kentucky,
author of the organic act. in an inter
view last night. Senator Blackburn re-
Gently came 10 Washington from his
home in Kentucky
Senator Blackburn was chairman of the
House District committee in 1878 and it
was he who drafted the bill for a per
manent form of government for the Dis
trict which afterward became the law.
1T Was during my second term in the
House that l became chairman OF the
District committee. Senator Blackburn
said Conditions in the District at that
time We're oepiora bic. chaotic. and l de-
termined that something must be done
TO bring order out of chaos For three
months l worked over the draft of that
Dill which is now the law of the District,
and | never worked harder in my life.
Then for two months or more the bill
was debated in the House"
Purpose of Congress.
To a question as to whether the Iegis-
lators of that day had intended that the
law should be permanent, Senator Black
burn replied:
Read the debates. which covered hun
dreds of pages of the Congressional Rec
ord ard that question will readily be an
Swered- OF course, 1t was intended that
the law should be permanent. Every de-
tail of the bill was considered carefully
In both Senate and House. and every
argument that could be advanced for or
against each item was made
From the time when the District of
Columbia became the seat of the Ma
tional Capital until 1878 there had
eminent here. You have only to look
at the city today to see the results of
the operations of the organic act. The
people of the District are politically
orphans. They have no vote The
whole power over the District is vested
in Congress. Congress fixes the taxes.
Up to the time of the enactment of
the organic law, the ratio paid for the
support of the capital by the federal
government constantly changed. No
man could say one year what the rate
of taxation in the District would be
the next year one Congress, perhaps,
made the portion paid by the federal
government 25 per cent of the whole
appropriation. the next Congress made
II 10 per cent, or perhaps 90 per cent
of the whole.
Productive of Utter Chaos.
This led 10 utter chaos. 1t was i'm
possible for the city 10 develop under
such conditions. No man wished to I,ur-
chase property III the District when he
could not learn what the rate of taxa
ton TO De from year TO another.
The power of taxation carried to its
ultimate analysis means conhscation, and
Congress by making large appropriations
for the city ana authorizing the federal
Treasury 70 pay Only 4 small share
could practically tax the property OF
the residents to the point of contscation.
1T was for the purpose OF making it
possible 10 ascertain what the rate OF
taxation was to be and how much of the
expenses OF the District the citizens We're
10 bear. more than for any other reason.
that we placed the half f-and-half prin-
ciDle in the organic law. That feature
of the Law Is the very strongest of all.
That it now Is under attack seems in
credible. except for the fact that there
are always men 10 be found who are not
satisfied with existing conditions. mat
ter how good they may be.
Il know that some members of Con-
gress come to Washington prejudced
against the District of Columbia. This
is particularly true Of members who
come from districts far away from the
National Capital They have been
a sort OF PARADISE in which the people
have no expenses. and where the federal
government PAYS even the butchers bills
And In this prejudice lies the root of ali
TIE attacks which have been made on the
half and bali principle
Federal Governments Holdings.
When ] was considering the subject
IN is.>. ott-ia,t! "a me-. SEA -i,t
the federal government owned about
II per cent OF the territory Of the Dis
trigt and The people the other j.: per
cent II seemed 10 me that in view of
ms fact il would be fair to have the
expenses OF tue i.sts-Ct lfssi -t..l 50. and
share alike by the federal government
weeks. lo~eser. seriously consid-
cred f:l..sirG tle proaort'on 10 h,-
paid y the government IA per cent
and .lat oi the people, Is, per cent
think that TO-DAY. if any change
were talce Ia the organic act, the pro-
portion - the goEernnent should be in
creased and that % the people reduced
II would pe fairer today. in my opinion.
20 nave the government pay - per cent
anil the ntOp!e =, per ceat. In the FIRST
place. While tne poPuia Ton has increased
enormously and the cost of living has
gone higher 4I.i higher tne amount OF
territory TO be taxed has remained the
same. except that the government has
taken by condemnation much valuable
property. sill further reducing the tax
able area thereby
to say. are proud oil their National Cap
ital. They want to see il developed and
made beautiful There is no other city
of the same size in Europe or in this
country where much money is spent
for lighting. for street cleaning, FOR sani-
tation and other such things. And it is