Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-13
Former Commissioner West
Combats Proposed Abolition
of HaIf-and-HaIf System.
DISCUSSES THE ISSUE
WITH IOWA CONGRESSMAN
Arguments For and Against Repre-.
sentative Prouty's Proposition to
Abrogate the Organic Act.

Whether the fiscal relations between the
District of Columbia and the United
States should be maintained or destroyed
whether the National Capital should I'M
dertake to change its municipal charac-
ter and become an independent com
munity with the government failing to
give any support for the thousands OF
acres OF land withdrawn by 1t from city
taxation. were some Of the questions de-
bated before an interested audience at
the Public Library last night by Repre-
sentative Prouty of Iowa and former
Commissioner Henry L. West
For the first time Washingtonians had
the opportunity OF hearing Representa-
live Prouty outside OF tho District com
nlittee room or the hall OF the House OF
Representatives tell exactly why he has
Been insisteutly endeavoring to unoer-
mine the half-and-half principle OF ap-
preparation. He explained that MS re-
cent move to amend the George taxation
and assessment bill by including a sec
ton to place real and personal properly
al the same rate and to tax tangible ana
Intangible property Is to raise apou.
$4,000 600 in the District. SO that the
United States government need pay
nothing toward the National .Capltai
maintenance. p,,
on the other hand, MIR. West showed
that the District property owner Is Al
ready paying more than his share. when
ali things are considered The debate
was marked with great good feeling on
each side, as the speakers are close
friends.
Mr.. Vests Opening Argument.
Mr.. West opened the argument He
said in part:
Suppose any two persons In tins audi
ence were to share house together as
Joint tenants and joint owners. Would
II not be expected that you would share
equally the burden of the expense OF
maintenance, of taxes and repairs? What
would YOU think of your fellow occupant
IL he should say that you should pay an
your expenses yourself, and that ne
should live rent free and relieved OF all
expense, enjoying the ADVANTAGES OF care
and residence, simply because he thought
that his company had some value? Yet
this is the situation which confronts US
today in the relations OF the United
States government to the District OF Co
lumbia 1t is seriously proposed that the
Joint owner and tenant should be relieved
of all cost and that the other owner and
tenant should bear all the expense. the
proposition is so unusual, so illogical ana
so unfair that 1t really ought not to be
considered as being within the domain
of controversy
Mr.. West reminded the audience that
the United States established the capital
in the District of Columbia before a city
was built here, and ascribed to that cir
cumstance the fact that no great COM
mercial enterprises have been established
here. He outlined, in a paragraph, the
early ups and downs of the Capital city
as a separate municipality and terri
tory.
That experiment was unsuccessful"
be continued. land so Congress devised
the present form of commission govern
ment in what IS known as the organic
act. the vital principle of which is known
as the half a nd half plan.
After Four Years Of Study.
It was not passed until Congress had
devoted four years to careful considera-
ton of District affairs: the attempt to
place IN the act the usual reservation as
to the right of Congress to alter. amend
or repeal was voted down. and the Su-
preme Court Of the United States has de-
cided that the act is what its title pro-
claims it to be. viz, a permanent form OF
government for the District OF Columbia.
Surely contract which has existed for
thirty five years under these conditions
ought not to be slightly disregarded.
Let me, as fairly as | can, state the
position of those who seek to bring about
a change. They make three assertions:
First. That it is an anomaly that
suffrage does not exist in the capital of a
nation whose government is based upon
suffrage.
second That it is not fair to place
upon the people of the United states any
portion of the expense Of the maintenance
OF the National Capital.
Third. That the people of the Dts
trict do not bear their full share OF the
burden OF expense.
1.-The first s atement is undou btedly true,
but we are dealing with facts and not
with theories. And the fact is that for
forty years, since 1874, we have had
a good form of government. l want to
say that we cannot have our cake and
eat II. too. National support and ma
tional control go hand in hand. Congress
cannot appropriate public funds to be
expended by a private municipal corpora
ton. If we are given a local self-gov-
eminent we will be thrown back upon
our own resources. In that case. one Of
two things will certainly happen-either
we will have TO bear double taxation to
keep the city on its present plane. or Sc
We will have to cut in half our police
and fire protection. our school facilities.
our street maintenance. and our entire