The Washington times., 1915-11-06
THE DISTRICT FINANCES \

luS UIS XVI TtNHSN
Perhaps the shock Of losing the
half -and-half fiscal arrangement be-
tween Federal and local treasury
will be assuaged a good deal, in the
minds of people who regard that
plan as sacred, by the discovery
that there is no such thing and has
not been for many years. It is pretty
apparent that some new scheme OF
providing for the Capital City is
going to come from the discussions
and investigations Of the Congress
sional committee, chiefly because 1t
has been shown that the half-and-
half plan is archaic. Now. however,
Commissioner Brownlow adds to this
a statistical demonstration that
there is little more to the plan than
a tradition, a fiction; It has been
built into a fetch in the minds OF
some people who didn't bother to
discover its non-existence, and who
could not bring themselves to be-
lieve that anything equally satisfac-
tory could be substituted for It.
Commissioner Brownlow showed
that in the years from 1900 to 1914
inclusive, there has been no year in
which an exact division Of expenses
was effected. The National Treas
ury in 1901 paid over go per cent
of the District budget, according to
Mr.. Brownlow; while in 1918 its pro-
portion fell as low as 38 per cent.
Prior to 1910 the Federal contribu-
tion was almost uniformly more
than 80 per cent; since that time 1t
has been less than half.
There has been no fiscal calamity
or business disaster as a result OF
this condition. Most people, indeed,
have hardly realized that any such
shift in the burden has taken place
1t will be apparent. when Mr.
Brownlow's figures are examined
that the half-and-half has beer
; merely a theory, not a practice.
. Beyond this, it will be plair
enough that il there were franl
abandonment Of the half-and-hali
pretense, and if the plan favored b!
the Commissioners were adopted
namely, Of imposing reasonable
taxes here, and then paying an!
, deficit from the National Treasury
) the distribution of the burden woul'
: not be materially changed from
: what it has been. It must be born
| in mind that the half-and-hal
: scheme was adopted at time whel
t the city was small and poor; AM
burdened with a huge debt left owe
A to it from former regimes. The cit,
Q has grown In population and wealth
and the debt has been well-nigh Ok
: ltinguished. There exists today
very different set Of conditions fror
5 those which obtained during tn
h period while the Federal Govern
d ment was paying, not half. but a
t times a good deal more than hal
z Of the expenses Of the Distric
8 There was a frank willingness I
8 make that contribution, becaus
It there was need for it. There will b
n times in future when extraordinar
r expenditures will demand the sam
y liberality with either the cash {
Z, the credit of the National Cover
5, ment. 1t is fairly to be assumes
r for example, that before many yea,
Is such large projects as public owne
Is ship of some of the important mi
t. nicipal facilities will be undertake
If In that connection both the autho
,; ity and the credit of the Nation
ID Government will be needed. 1t
k, quite conceivable that Federal cred
&c might be of more value to this cit
le at such a juncture, than Federal a
Is preparations at another.
ne It is earnestly to be desired tn
ur a fair and understanding view m,
y. be taken of this whole fiscal que
er ton, to the end that if change
to made in the relations Of District a
he National Government, it may not
an misconstrued and regarded as
lie calamity to the local communi'
e Mr.. Brownlow's presentation OF t
e; detailed facts about fiscal relatio
sw is calculated. if it shall receive
vn attention it deserves, to dispel m
n givings. Washington is not going
de be abandoned by the nation. Ths
nd has been no rigid scheme of distr
nj uting burdens; and the plan VIII
Tot now seems likely to be adopted gi'
promise of continuing about 4
nd same distribution Of costs as in
les past, while it will produce a bet
in understanding and more SYM
err thetic feeling between Congress
ide the local community.
ity Class to Be Enrolled