The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-12
HOUSE CUTS US. AID
TO DISTRICT FUNDS
Johnson Amendment, Abrogat-
ing HaIf-and-HaIf Plan, Is
Adopted. 70 to A..
COMMUNICATION First Page

The johnson amendment is another
way OF expressing the Page amend
1 ment which passed the House last SEES
\ sion and was killed b. the Senate. The
! Page amendment proposed to turn into
! the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts
! the S2,Ol1,0DO TO S3OOo00 excess DIS
| trict revenues which would be re-
! fund annually to the Treasury OF a
! part of the amount ii had donated un-
I der the half-and-half plan.
$4,000 For Utilities Valuation.
After disposing of the Johnson amend
ment the House proceeded with the
reading Of the District bill and allowed
the $1,000 increase desired by the Pub
| lie Utilities Commission in its appro-
priation for valuing the publiv utilities
| Of the District. The commissioner is
| allowed $4,000 instead of $4,000 as orig
inally requested.
Having carried his first amendment
| Congressman Johnson will offer later
1 additional riders recently introduced as
bills providing for full value assess
ments of property of the District. tax
| alton of intangible property and annuaI
assessments of real estate.
Sisson Calls Taxes Low.
| Congressman Sisson of Mississippi
opened the debate today by asserting
that the people of the District do not
pay taxes as high as those paid by resi-
dents of the average municipality
| THE people here he said, pay about
one-half of the taxes paid by residents
of other communities.
There is no justice. for instance. in
making the Federal Government pay
| one-half of the school expenses. The
people here should bear their just bur-
| dens of taxation"
| Congressman Mann. minority leader.
defended the Capital. saying:
I MI ar-a 70 nrnhl-
bly, as high as they are anywhere else.
| The half-and-half plan has worked
well. Replying to the gentleman from
| Mississippi, / might say IL is unfair
TO make the District pay for one-half
| of the paving around the Treasury
| Department. as proposed in the bill"
This is the first time such pro-
vision has been in the BILL" respond
ed Mr. Sisson.
| u think not" said Mr. Mann.
washington will not receive the
attention il should if this Johnson
amendment carries, the minority
leader continued. appropriation for
| new projects, for instance, would be
construed as calling on appropria-
tions from the TreasUry-the District
having used up its funds for running
eXpenses-and know the temper OF
the House well enough to know what
that would mean
The District contains the Capital
| of the nation, and il should be treat
ed somewhat tenderly by the people.
It will not get its just deserts under
the proposed plan
, Praises Half-an-Half Plan.
~ am proud of the Capital / think
: every one who comes here is prouder
I of his country after he sees Washing
Iton. The half-and-half plan was
worked out by Congress after many
years of discussion and after the Dis
/ trict had gone through many trials and
some complete failures Since that
plan was adopted. Washington has
, grown beautiful II II the pride Of our
ipeople. and will continue 70 be So
| CONGRESSMAN Crisp of Georgia spoke
briefly regarding his bill, introduced
| last year, to repeal outright the half
. and-haif arrangement. He declared
} that he had performe da public duty
i'm Offering such bill. and deprecated
the criticism in the District which fol-
lowed his course.
Congressman Mondell OF wyoming
| contended that the District Committee
| should report the johnson bill as a
separate measure and It should not be
attached as a rider on an appreciation
t bill
; This amendment subject" he said
, lis entitled to discussion IN all Of its
phases. Advantage Is taken here when
the amendment is proposed as a rider
: on an appropriation bill with only q
| | few members present debate limited
| to an hour. without regard TO tho wis
dom of the proposed legislation. this Is
| neither the time nor place for II.
| NO one can say that the plan pro-
| | posed is inst or equitable. for il has
| never been tried. The half-and-half
plan has worked satisfactorily. My
| constituents have never been disturb
: ed because they We're contributing
something TO the upkeep Of the Cant
tai Of their country They have never
heCIud"ed The amount thS Federal
| Government apDropr:ates for Wash
! inoton. They are proud OF this city
| What we reed here is larger. not
| smaller appropriations. There arf
many projects which should have beer
carried in this bill. but which arc
omitted"
Out of Place, Says Tess.
i do not believe" said Congressman
Fess of Ohio. that this rider SHOULD
receive consideration during the discus
sion of the general appropriations bill
This is to repeal an organic act. 1 d.
not think IL is on the plane Of prope
legislation TO try to eliminate a Law
by a mere Incidental rider Of this char
acter. We should not attempt to do thi
I with ONLY one hours debate when Their
is no representative Of the city of Wash
ington on the floor OF Congress eNcep
the Representatives who come from out
| side OF the District. J do not bellev
in changing the form OF the Distric
| government. / am opposed TO thi
amendment, not because ] live her
temporarily, but as "A citizen or Ohio
who believes in his National Capital"
Congressman Prouty, joint author o
| the amendment. reviewed previous ar
/ 10