Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-11
Johnson Amendment to ApDro-
priation Bill Destroys Half
and-HaIf Provision.
ISSUE THE SAME AS ON
LAST YEARS "SECTI0N 8"
Shall National Participation in Cap
ital Upbuilding Become Uncer-
tain, Fluctuating, Capricious!

The Johnson amendment to the
District appropriation bill. intro
duced yesterday, proposes dl-
rcctly to repeal the half-and-half
provision of the organic act. 1t
is as follows:
Amend, on page I: by strlk-
ing out the words 'one-halt OF
and the words out OF the money
in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated. and the other hall
out of the revenues OF the Dis
trict OF Columbia. in lines a. 5
and g: and the word namely in
line Q. all on page 1, and insert
the following as an amendment
thereto: That all moneys appro-
priated for the expenses OF the
government OF the District of Co
lurubia shall be paid out OF the
revenues OF said District to the
extent that they are available,
and the balance shall be paid out
OF the money in the Treasury OF
the United States not otherwise
appropriated. but the amount to
be paid from the Treasury OF the
United States shall in no event
be as much as one-half OF said
expenses, and all laws in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed.
This is a more direct and dan
serous attack upon the funda-
mental principle of the organic
act OF 1873 than even the pro-
lccted "Section g." by which it
was sought at the last session to
incorporate into the District bill
a provision to turn back into the
federal Treasury all unappropria-'
ated and unexpended balances OF
District tax revenues.
This question OF the open or
covert repeal of the organic act
in its provision OF means for
maintaining the District on an
adequate scale was fully dis
cussed last winter and spring In
The Star, when Section 81 was
adopted by the House by per-
-functory vote and was later elimi-
mated by the Senate and eventu-
ally stricken from the bill in con-
ference. To the end of under
standing the injustice OF the pres
ent attempt to abrogate the half
and-hali' provision by means OF a
sliding scale which will spend all
the local revenues and never as
much OF federal money and which
specifically repeals inconsistent
provisions OF law-the half-and-
half clause OF the act of IS7S-the
following matter printed in The
Star at the time when this sub
leCt was under debate is repro
duced as pertinent in principle to
the present issue. everything
which was then urged against
Section s applying squarely to the
Johnson amendment, save that
the latter is open and explicit.
whereas the former was covert
and insidious. The two proposals
are similar in that they have been
advanced as riders" on appropri-
alton bills, enacting new and i'm
portant legislation. being obvi-
ously subject on this ground to a
point OF order While one pro-
posed indirect repeal, and the
other proposes direct repeal, they
agree in substituting for a fixed
standard OF capital contribution
one that IS uncertain. fiuctuating
from year to year and shifting
with the whlms OF the few leais-
lators interested in District CON
Germs III successive Congresses.
No Repeal by Rider"
The hnlf-and-haIf provision. the
guaranty of fair play and prosperity
for the capital, should not be DESTROYED
insidiOusly or by indirection. an pro-
posed by section y, hut. II mt nll openIy
and after full deliberation. and with NIL
the care and anxious thought which
accompany changes In fundamental
law.
There are some otherwise perfectly
reasonable congressman who are ap-
parently inspired by an Irresistible
tendency to have crack at the "or-
ganic act" because they think they are
told that 1t is sacred. inviolable, and
that they cannot touch 1t.
OF course, as far power of Congress
to amend or repeal is concerned, there
IS nothing sacred or inviolable about
the 'organic act" One Congress cannot
thus tie the hands of subsequent Con-
crosses. Washington's contention is not
that il cannot but that it ought not to
be repealed. The Supreme Court has
spoken of this Legislation as an or
ganic act. the Constitution of the
District of Columbia, and has shown
clearly the thought and wish of the
snacting Congress that this act should