Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13

1nctlt to Tie D1>trlct apDrtprla-
ton bill. which eliminates entire
" in most cases and cuts down
to almost nothin. in the remain
Ing cases the national hall c"u-
tiibutior toward stree; improve
ment. and which incidentally :,
palpablv and YrosslN Unfair Ia tn.
taxpayers and abuttin@ propert,-
owners on streets which have ii
the past been denied their share
III the general street improvement.
fund. To which, they have con-
trlbuted III taxes - the bill
which eNemp;> from ,iiplica-
iion. under the llali-aud-halF
a; .reement a halt million al
the District license revenue.
and a. The ohnSun-pruutv bill
which confi>catcs III iull from the
District revenues ol today two
wears ~ interest in>talmcmi> u1'
the SOS bonds III the &C, cutic, ri
The last century. Which fishes ~;
this stale dcbi, item 81 a million
dollars from The general account
al The rcceil cr>hiD era III lS-I--S.
treats il alone a. ~urNWiu. the
bankruptcy adjustment al IS-S
and collects il in full (Witipi..
the hail contribution ui il,c nation
provided bv existing law III re
spect to debt expenses al The Di~-
trict) from the local taxpayers a.
1914. nearly forty years later. in
violation oi the spirit of the
statute OF limitations, the cquita-
bic statute OF repose.
To be sure. the votes on these
measures were 81 mca"cr as ~
rob them ot any special >iguiti-
canoe a. expressions 81 hAcl
opinion by the House. With onl'-
few members present no diNisio,,
was called on the final vote on the
Jolnson-Proutv bill. The eNemp
ton from duplication ri the halr
million oi license revcnuc WAS
passed in the absence OF five
siNths OF the House membership
without a word or vote IN opposi-
ton. and SO with the concluding
provision OF the appropriation
! bill trcatin" an unlawful surplus
as miscellaneous receipts. which
even escaped the point al "rdcr
against substantive legislation a.
rider on an appropriation bill.
The Borland amendment WAS de
ieated once bv vote oi so AYES
to 40 noes. and was finally put il
the bill by vote oi ;, ayes 10 81
noes. There are 4.S5 members 81
the House.
/ But these measures have been
passed as effectively bv the lou~c
as ii they had received IN over
whelmins majority al the entire
| vote OF that body. and are before
| the Senate as completely. I he
| first two measures are before the
Senate District committee and tbs
last two are before the Senate ap-
preparations committee.
The fight i'll defense al the capt
tai and its people and ior a square
deal Tor ashinSton has shifted
from one end of the Capitol To
the other. The Districts battle
is not over. 1t has only Just hc
gun.
In this struggle i"r equity
Washington is sustained by a
supreme confidence that unSrcss.
representing all Americans. VIII
never. i'll its final action. violate
the spirit OF iairplav which doini-
mates the American people, The
capital knows that most al it|
! legislators wish il well aud arc
proud OF the nation city. N ash
inoton remembers that while Con
gress has often i'll H. hi,t"r"
seemed indifferent or even hostile
and has ALWAYS compelled Nash
/ ington Ia put up a fight Tor tar
PLAY. it has never III any great
crisis in the capital career tailed
in the end to act fairly. wisely and
even Svmpathetically IN dealing
with the nation : city.
| AT the bottom of all 90 these assault
on the captal is the mistaken ihoushf
| that the Washngtonian is undet:is.i'SS'd
and ,Inderta xed: that IL he were lh"T"'r-
\ TX taxed the resulting tax r-Nenii'' ""u
| suffice 10 maintain and 1cNriop ihr id-
/ tion's CITY; or at least would amount
! to much more than onc-n:tti ~ ~" "e'
/ cessary maintenance" ahn "'Nti"Pi'eht
| fund of the cap. tai.
| Hence results the Ella NOR =" ihcreas"
| the Washi,.tonia:r' already rN''t'ssl'"
assessments to cut down ~ tbs. ihat "i
| the other WAY the national cnHirl'utt''
! or to Withdraw it.'niii'lt. ai'i I" p'St.
| the local taNpal er with m" "i't'r-'l"'
of every old tax and tit', lnlrosih"h 80
| every new tax that Ingenuity can ne
wise. ..t
Rut not too mach ;'I"'l't - ia'.'i
| nnder the half-and-haif Law. aud t"e
! Washnetoniau IL aifcad- hnaA'iN t'tN''-
when tho mcacprncss of his tlNtn." re-
sources is considered
: The facts and iclIrcS "a rc-r"'i 10 Tue
.ayhur,len of til. Nasillu=toiiian li.''-
! hcon given in treat detail ia lhcc''ih-
! letters ,isiu. for tho ptri'"Sc- "i '""-
narison th,, census figures OF i.lu. ~.
| same lessons on this suhi'"' Hhl'il -
! derived from ~. 1910 stat Sii''S ~"
I ~. ,.a.,~,,. figures of l.il1.