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

THE /,
irupt through no fault of its own-alto-
gether reproach to itself and shame
to the nation.
I Since the act of 1873 the nation pursu-
ing an equitable, clearly defined policy
under the half-andhalf provision has
by wise. economical and intelligently lib
eraI expenditure built up one of the most
attractive capitals of the world no longer
a reproach and shame, but the object of
patriotic pride. Since through lack of
this definite. standard of national contri-
! button thu. nation fell far short of meet
ing its National Capital obligation from
| 1909 TO 1878. since the nation since 1878
! has occasionally fallen short of meeting
its own fixed half-and-halt standard: and
since certain legislators of today. con-
spicuous and influential are earnestly
contendn% that there should be lia :
itIonal participation at all in capital main
tenance. the suggestion that if the half
land-half provision We're DESTROYED and the
! percentage Of contribution left to chance
ithis percentage might be increased over
to,e-haIf is obviously delEsive. The most
+ ,inpl.-.liud,d could hardly deceive him
j s,!f or uerGut himself to be deceived
/ by it Repeal of the half-and-half pro
vision destroys thu capitals shield and
buckles. and leaves il exposed, helpless,
| to the attacks of its enemies
The tiercest assaults upon the haf-and-
| half provision are made by those who
! contend that local taxation alone can
! readily and without injustice raise
| much greater revenue than s needed Tor
I ..an,t,I maintenance. Al Washington
I iaus KNOW tlal the a,iic2"d IA IS cited h.;
7 these r,lr,l are INA GiuationS aid thai their
= financial program means .HrNtiah.c bank
| i.Iptcv for Washington II with the aid
| Of thnuGniless and in'"nSlt!"fat' TRENDS
| of IN. District these enemies OF Wash
| incton h5-cak down the half-aud II pro
of
I uartIciuarlon to- shift with the caprice of
successive individual legislators, the cap
! itai VIII have a Damoclcs sword hanging
I over ii continually, to fail at am mo
tncpt,
Change Unnecessary and Untimely.
! The substitution of nm uncertain for
n certain standard Of national par
ticfpatiop In capital making. pro-
! posed in section y. fs untfmeiy. be-
| ing for the present mt least unneces-
sary. promising little good and threat
ching much harm.
| Those who believe Cas- Senator MorriN
| believed in the seventies of the last CEN
! turyN that thu United states should col
| lect from the capital community a rea-
sonable. moderate tax. not eNcessil e
I when compared with the average tax
| burden Al the American who lives in
! city and should then appropriate what
ever additional amount is required 10
maintain and develop suitably the ma
TONS city with its magnificent national
plan should not disturb the law of 1878.
for i'll practice and in actual application
il works out in general accordance with
their wishes. The capital ENJOYS the
benefit of a fixed. equitable standard of
national participation i'll capltal-fnakInS
under the half -and-half plan and also i'll
its practical application a large measure
of the fexibility of the Morrill, plan.
The law OF 1878 contemplatcs a careful
statement of the Districts legislative
needs by tine Commissioners in the form
of estimates a revision of these estimates
by the Secretary Of the Treasury. an APP
propriatio of the amount of these esti-
mates to the extent that Congress APP
proves them. and then. and not till then.
the collection taxes from the local
community of precisely one-half the
amount of this appropriation. no more
and no less.
But in practice and in fact Congress
imposes a reasonable tax upon the CAPT
tai community in advance of the appro-
nriation. and if it fails thereafter to ap-
propriate twice the amount of the tax
thus raised in conformity with the direc-
ton of the organic act. it has in the past
disposed as it pleased Of the surplus
thus uniaWfUlly created. spending it on
the District without duplication. or divert
ing il 10 purposes more national than
local. or tthe lawful and equitable way>.
holding it to the credit of the District
TO he duplicated at some future time
when II is needed.
Thus the nation. while il did not enact
the Morrill, proposition in ISIS. and did
adopt the plan of an arbitrary annual
half and-half division Of capital eXpendi-
lures. in its practical application of the
law has drifted into the of the Nor
riil proposition to the extent at least of
giving hexihilty 10 the system provided
by the organic act.
Since the Washinstonian is already
reasonably taxed and since the luplica-
ton of that tax money at this time
represents no more than the needed,
equitable and adequate expenditure by
the nation for capital maintenance and
upbuildfnG. the present hnlf-and-half
arrangement should not be OverfhrOwn
In order to substitute in it's place a
system favored in the abstract by some
Influential friends of the District and
by some good WashingtOnians as well.
which treats local taxes as national
and imposes the obligation of ap-
prOprinttnG for capital maintenance
and development sIuareIy and exclu-
| sively upon the nation. the amount of
such appropriation varying. however,
from year to year. in the discretion of
Congress. without any relation what
ever TO the local tax contribution.
There are strong arguments in favor
of this financial relation between ma
ton and capital. and it near
adoption In the seventies of the last
century. when 1t was advocated by some
of the best friends of the Dist rict, in
Guiding cOnspicuOusly Senator Morrill,.
Hat after deliberate consideration the
haIf-nnd-hnif arrangement was. l
think. wisely adopted In 1878. and I'M
der it's fair and bene ficent operation the
Capital city has ceased to be
pronch and shame to the nation md
has become an object of national pride.
The vital feature of the act of 1873 IL
that 1t fixes definite equitable stand
ard of national participation in capital
making, and does not leave this stand
ard to the shiftinEs of caprice. 1t
practically makes the taxpaying abil-
ity Of the community the measure of
provision for meeting the cnpftais mil
nicipaI needs and Of the annual ma
tiODal expenditure in capital upbuiId-
ing. In the years when the nation,
| Is Indifferent ms to detail In local con-
Germs, II provides stable. reliable M
tiOnnl expenditure upon the capital,
which IL prevented from being OK
cessive by the requirement that II shall
he duplicated by taxation upon COM
munity which lacks in superlatiSc
degree taxable resources. II the nation
in my year has wished to do more In
capital upbuilding thnn its local CO.
vnnced the additional money needed by
the District rs loan to he repaid
with interest In instaiIments. when
the nation has. he other hand. been
In scrimDinE mood and has been I'M
W Hing TO appropriate in any year an
amount equal TO that which the capital
community could raise by reasonable
taxation. Congress has not scrupled to
appropriate only the smaller amount,
| f,.fs To- l.