The Washington times., 1915-11-15

tions could be settled by the methods
OF local sclf-government3
II am not a knoekery am q booster
for a greater and better Washington.
merely point out these defects In the
proposed fiscal system so that when
better system In proposed It's advan-
tages will be obvious at q Glance. :,
II am going to be very frank: shall
'hew to the line and let the chips fall
where they may with all due respect
to the eminent gentlemen who have in
dorsed the proposed fiscal system. do
not like 1t because 1t ls too paternai,s-
tic. Have you ever realized that tho
main trouble with Europe today is too
much patcrnalism7 The Kaisers and the
Gears and the Kings. the landlords. the
tunkers and the militarists have had
too much power. and the people too ut
tie. and the rulers have led the help
less people like lambs to the slaughter.
Power In the people 10 always safe.
Power over the people is always dan
gerous. do not mean that there Is
any imminent danger of war In the
District-at least. nothing worse than
fiscal fiKhts-but II we can devise a
political and fiscal system with a mini
mum of uaternalism and q maximum OF
home rule and genuine democracy. 10 II
not worth while to spend sufficient time
for the most careful consideration OF
such o systemf
Appeals FOT SuuIukc.
"while this Joint Congressional COM
mittee Ia not authorized to take action
In regard to questions Of local self-gov-
eminent. 1t would be unfortunate. In
my judgment, II any new fiscal system
should be adopted by Congress which
would block the road to local self.gov-
ernment In Washington. In the printed
brief submitted by the Tax Reform As
ISOLATION. wo urged upon this committee
that the way be left open for the future
action by Congress- for the establish-
mont Of democratic and efficient form
| Of government In this District whicn
| will relieve Congress from tho duty of
action as municipal council' for the
cty Of Washington 1t would. indeed.
be quite practicable, under this sys-
tenn. to have the advisory initiative and
referendum by which the people Of the
District would be permitted to advise
Congress and the Commissioners of
| their wishes In regard to proposed Dis
trict laws and appropriations. l think
tional. and ! strongly favor It. but II
would not be real self-government. Il
would also be possible under the pro-
posed fiscal system for the people to
elect their Commissioners. or at least a
part or the Board Of Commissioners, II
We were empowered to do so by Com
Rress. but this would be only a small
measure Of local self-government, as
the Commissioners themselves have very
little power. SO long as Congress con-
should still lack the power to determine
what amount OF the revenue should be
raised by taxation In the District, how
II should be raised. and how II should
De expended. Is there not q better pos
sible system?
What I have in mind as the ideal So
luton OF the entire District problem
seems absurd to many. because they
mold on to certain beliefs-which may
be called historical prejudices-and of
way, the solution Of the District problem
lem In simply to turn the city of WASH
nigton over to the people OF Washing
ton and let them run IL to suit them
to let them pay their own bills as other
cities do. without bothering Congress
about II. provided that the mur'ct,al
government OF Washington shall he so
conducted as not to interfere with the
functions and the paramount rights OF
the National Government in the Dis
trict. and In every practicable way to
cooperate with the National Govern
| ment In making Washington a great and
glorious National Capital.
Plan Didn't Fail.
But you say that municipal plan was
tried before 1871 and proved to be q
failure. You say the District is sur" to
70 to the 'demnition bow-wows' unless
It's affairs. to the very smallest detail,
| are conducted by the National Govern
ment. To which reply. first. that mu-
nicipal government in Washington prior
to 1871 was not a failure. and. second.
that conditions are 10 changed since 1871
that we may reasonably anticipate that
| municipal government here would be a
much greater success than In the past.
ha To pnf4 Aaa t.st
advocated the abolition Of the half-and-
half system. In our brief we said that
the District is occupied and maintained
| first, as the Nations Capital. and. sec
| ond. as a municipality or community OF
local residents who are employed In the
| public service or are engaged In private
pursuits. The city of Washington has
been planned on national scale. and
festly unfair that the entire burden
should fall on the local residents l
| cannot figure out how we could -et
along without a liberal contribution
from the National Treasury for many
i years to come.
Here Is one practicable plan: Let
the United States contribute annually
| whatever amount Is believed necessary
by Congress-say three or four millions
a year. or perhaps $40 per capita. Let
| Washington under which there would he
a governor appointed by the President
| and Ave commissioners. one from each
| OF the four sections of the city. and
one elected by the entire city. the gov
ernor to have veto power. so that II In
any way the city government failed to
look after the national interests in the
way OF streets. lighting. police and fire
| protection. etc. the ~nvernor would
have sufficient power to require the
necessary action to be taken.
Variety of Opinion.
I'm these hearings, a great variety OF
opinion has been presented. II must
have appeared to the members of tho
committee that many of the witnessc,
cared less for the special problems un
der consideration by the committee thar
we did to protect some special Interest
or to promote some pet theory. But II
spite Of wide Emergencies of opinion,
think we are all sincerely interested II
the future OF this Capital City.
within the last few days this com
mittee has listened to the most touch
ing and heart-rending sappeals from
various wealthy citizens of Washington
that nothing be done which shall tent
to raise taxes in the District. This |.
all very natural, but It Is a little mar
row. we should get a little broader
view of what Is needed to make Wash
Ington a model city. Among othel
things we need:
"1 To start with n right settlemen