Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-25

act of the District became the Iaw
Such a system did not work in those
days. and it is only since the half-and-
there has been systematic deyeIopment
of the District. If the DEVELOPMENT
OF the capital is left to whatever tax
money can be raised in the District.
and to spasmodic appropriations made
from the federal Treasury for the Dis
trict by Congress. there could not he
the continuance of the progress which
we all desire. definite proportion Of
the expenses of the District which
should be paid by the federal govern
ment should be fixed il there is to be
progress"
!, Senator Works asked Mr.. Macfarland
what function the District government
now performs could not be performed
Just as well by the United States gov
eminent in its capital.
There are many which might cite"
said Mr.. Mcfarland, but one impor-
tant matter is that the District gov
ernment now gives the people here a
certain measure of self-government
which they would not have if the
United States government took the
place of the District government"
agent Of q. S. Government"
Senator Works asked what function
! the government Of the District of CO.
lumbia performed:
1T Is the agent of the United States
government replied Mr. Macfarland
1T also gives the people of the city
representation, of kind, before
Congress-"
Further on. Senator Works asked il
''it is important that the United States
owns the streets as long as the streets
are dedicated to the public use. Mr..
Macfarland replied that he spoke of
| this ownership merely to show the abb
solute control of the United States in
its property here
THE United States." he said, has the
right to close streets or to use them
for any purpose whatsoever"
Mr.. Macfarland gave the committee
legal references. the principal one be-
ing the old Van Ness case
Senator salisbury asked to whom
title reverted in case of property
abandoned by the United States.
ITO the original owner" was the
reply.
Former Senator Blackburn Quoted.
from an argument made by former
Senator Blackburn in favor of the half
and-half plan when he was a member
of the House and the matter was be-
fore that body, Representative Gard of
Ohio interrupted to ask if Mr.. Black
burn had not expressed another view
in recent months.
I'VE know that Senator Blackburn
has recently advocated the indetermin-
ate plan of appropriating for the Dis
trict." replied Mr.. Macfarland, by
which the taxes collected in the Dis
trict would be paid into the federal
Treasury and the expenditures of the
District would be made from the fed
eral Treasury. But we believe that
Senator Blackburn's arguments, made
In 1878. are conclusive and are correct.
He was a representative at that time,
with all the facts in the case before
him."
Senator Works suggested that it
would be wise il the committee would
request Senator Blackburn and mem
bers of Congress who have opinions
upon the questions before the commit
tee to appear and discuss these ques-
tionS. He asked Mr.. Macfarland what
objection there was to fixing a fair
rate of taxation for the District and
then having the government pay all
the expenditures for the National Capt.
tai.
I'VE believe that it is necessary to
have a fixed proportion of the expenses
of the District paid by the federal gov
ernment If the capital is to make prog
ress," said Mr.. Mcfarland. We have
In mind the experience of Seventy-eight
years before the adoption of the half
and-half plan in which such a plan as
you suggest existed. Some years the
federal government made no appropri-
ations whatever for the District. OF
course. we know that the government
would make appropriations now each
year. but we fear that it would appro-
pirate in irregular and spasmodic
manner"
Query by Senator Works.
Then one of the objects of your
committee" said Senator Works, SIS tc
force the government to continue maxi
ing appropriations for its own capital.
as it has done since 1878"
We are only recommending that the
government continue this plan." replied
Mr.. Macfarland, land that the govern
ment should be regular and not spas
modic in it's appropriations for the
District. We are ready and willing 20
pay our taxes. But feeling exists
among some members of Congress today
that The government is paying too much
each year for the District Of Colum bia.
That same feeling might continue to
exist if the proposed indeterminate
plan should be adopted, and il niiriit
prevent needed appropria tions by IL:
government for the District IL the IL
ture"
Senator Works said that personally
ment of the National Capital by the
Perhaps the government might aisi:
to appropriate more than sun: s0'iat
to khe taxes collected In the District.
he said.
Mr. Macfarland replied that the c:;.-
zens OF the District were satisfied with
. contribution BY the &overnuent a.-