Evening star., 1914-04-06
ACTION OF SENATE
NOT FINAL DEFEAT
Opponents of HaIf-and-HaIf
Plan May Still Make
Fight.

That the elimination from the District
appropriation bill by the Senate of sec
ton g and the so-called "Borland amend
ment'' is in itself no assurance of defeat
for opponents of the existing half
half basis of raising funds for the gov
ernment of the District. was the state
ment today of Henry B. F. Macfarland.
chairman of the executive committee of
the committee of one hundred
Many persons in the District, as well
as the friends of the National Capital
who reside elsewhere. have inquired of
the executive committee as to whether
the Senate's action did or did not assure,
at least for this session. the defeat OF
the protagonists of abolishment OF the
half-and-half plan. The impression ap-
pears to have been created that for the
present the mutually Of relations be-
tween the District and the federal gov
ernment is safe from further attack;
THE executive committee" said Mt
Macfarland, desires to remind the
friends of the National Capital here and
elsewhere that those measures will come
up again when the report OF the con-
ference committee on the District ap-
Precipitation bill is made to the two
ital in Congress will have to fight for
its continued progress. Meanwhile they
should lose no opportunity to present the
facts to Individual senators and repre-
sentatives so that they may be fully IN
formed when the time comes for vote.
Looks for Full Vote in House.
"Fortunately, opportunity will be pro-
vided for a roll call that ought to bring
out a full vote in the House OF Repre-
sentatives, where those measures were
passed without a roll call and with
small attendance. When on Thursday
last the House disagreed to the senate
amendments and the bill was sent to
the conference committee: RepresentatSe
Stafford of Wisconsin said:
When the bill passed the House there
we're two amendments which were serl-
ously mooted on this side OF the cnam-
ber, and on which there was no roii car.
l refer to the Borland amendment, pros
viding for taxing the improvement OF
highways to the adjoining property
owners, and also the amendment stricK-
en- out by the Senate, embodied IN sec sec
ton s. which invades the half-and-half
principle. 1 would like to ask whether
there will be any opportunity Tor
separate vote upon each OF those
amendments before q fuil agreement IS
reached upon the bill?
ITO this question Representative Page
Of North Carolina, chairman OF the
House conferees on this bill. replied:
I think l can give tHe SeHlicHidh
as full assurance as is possible now
that an opportunity will be given the
House to vote on those amendments
1.-The executive committee is ready to
furnish printed copies of its reports
to any one who desires to give one
to any senator or representative for his
consideration.
Appeal of Navy Magazine.
The Navy Magazine for this month,
which is the organ Of the Navy League
of the United States. contains an article
giving an abstract of the executive com
mittee report and asking its readers. In
GLIDING the 1000 members of the Navy
League throughout the United States, tc
heartily cooperate in getting the facts
before the Senate and the House. The
magazine adds:
IAN patriotic Americans regard Wash
ington as the symbol of the republic
and want 1t to be as nearly perfect as
begrudge the insignificant per capita
amount they pay for its development and
maintenance, and they want more, rath-
| er than less. spent upon it by the ma
| ton. The four measures which have
passed the House of Representatives and
are now before the Senate would mean
double taxation for Washington and In
| the end would prove national calam-
| ity.
1.-THE half-and-half arrangement where
| by the national government meets one
half of the expense of the District OF
Columbia has prevailed since the yeai
ISIS and has proved itself to be a fail
and satisfactory arrangement In every
particular"