Evening star., 1915-01-08
RIDER TOD|STR|CT
BILL IS ASSA|LED
Many Senator'S Champion Pre-
vaiIing HaIf-and-HaIf
Financial Plan.
KENYON FIRST DEFEND
JOHNSON AMENDMENT
Declares Author Has Been Snubbed
and 0stracised in the Ma
tional Capital.

tional Capital.
When the District bill was taken III
In the Senate yesterday afternoon, the
reading Of the bill was waived by unani-
nous consent and the consideration OF
committee amendments begun. The first
was the elimination of the johnson rider
repeating the haif-and- half principle.
Immediately Senator Kenyon Of Iowa
'eaped to the defense Of the johnson rider
md its author who, he insisted. had been
snubbed and ostracised in Washington
because he was waging an honest fight
in the interests OF the people Of the
country.
During the course Of the debate Sena-
tor Kenyon who repeatedly referred TO
the tag dodgers of the District and
the persons o great wealth who come
here to avoid paying. taxes" announced
income tax law for the District of Co
lumbia which he hoped would reach some
of these persons who attempt to avoid
paying taxes
Mr.. Kenyon said:
TT seems to me that if the Senate
calmly considers the Johnson amend
ment. which I presume they will not
do, sentiment in the Senate In favor
out the johnson amendment Will not be
so strong as the newspapers would
seem to indicate. However, the news
papers in the District of Columbia have
announced that this matter Is perfect
ly safe in the Senate, and that is re-
deixsa dodgers Tl5h i" the e0nd Of S
Il know that any 0he who raises his
voice in favor of the Johnson amend
ment is considered an enemy to the
District of Columbia. is ridiculed and
caricatured by the press OF this CITY,
as the representative from Kentucky
in the House and as Judge Prouty, one
of the representatives from my state,
have been ridiculed and car1catured for
the fight they have made.
Will Not Submit, He Says.
"I do not believe, Mr.. President, that
it will make very much difference what
the Senate may do in this matter. l
believe men like Representative john
son in the House and Representative
Prouty and Representative Page OF
North Carolina, and others whom I
might mention, who have made the
fight for a fair and honest apportion-
District of Columbia in appropriations
to pay the expenses of conducting the
affairs of government in the District
are not going to submit to having this
The johnson amendment is simply a
plain provision that that sS.000,00o
which will be raised. according to the
estimates of the District Commission
shall be applied. first, to the payment
of the expenses of the District of Co
lumbia, and the balance, amounting to
about s3,000,000. shall be paid by the
government. Will anybody explain
why that is not fair proposition?"
Mr. Kenyon said that II the half land
half plan is followed, about S2,500.00O
raised by taxation In the District would
be left over to the credit of the District
ito make up for which taxes must be
levied upon people of my state and all
the other states of the Union"
Asked About Funded Debt.
Senator Smith of Maryland asked
Senator Kenyon if he realized that
there is a large funded debt due by the
District and the federal government.
amounting to nearly 100000. which
mas to be met. Senator Kenyon ad-
mitted that he was not familiar with
the funded debt.
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts, sug-
gested that IL would be wise to amend
the bill so as to provide a sinking fund
to retire the District indebtedness. so
that If the surplus revenue from taxa
tion is sufficient, eventually the Dis
trfct Indebtedness would De entirely
liquidated from that surplus. Senator
Smith replied that he saw no objection
to that.
I'VE felt that it was a matter which
might be considered by Congress, and
we left ii to remain so that 1t would
go into the Treasury to the credit of
The District of Columbia"
Score Taxation Methods.
The method Of taxation in the District
was assailed by Senators Kenyon, Cum
Minis and Nelson, which Is dollar and a
half in every hundred dollars worth of
real estate, which is assessed at two
thirds of the true value 1t was pointed
out that the rate Of taxation has not been
changed since 1902. Senator Cunmins
declared that most extraordinary stu
alton. Most governments change their
rate of taxation each year." said Senator
Cummns They fix rate that would
raise the amount of money that is es-
tiInated will be necessary for the govern
ment during the ensuing year"
Senator Shafroth of Colorado, a MEM
Der Of the appropriations committee, de-
clared that while he believed the method
Of taxation here has been Illogical, he be-
neved that the United States government
ought TO treat the District of Columbia
fairly and generously.
Calls Plan Indefinite.
Il do not see that this johnson amend
!nent is mature LEGISLATION said Can,