Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-20

portion. of the value of the property
taxed" It 10 all important. therefore. to
the taxing power as we'll as to those
who are to pay the tax that such values
should be reasonably stable. But If
from year to year it cannot be known
In advance whether the District will
have to pay all the expenses OF the
them or some other proportion. the re-
sulting uncertainty will go far toward
rendering taxation useless by Destroy
ing the very values to be taxed.
On this subject Mr. Blackburn. in ad-
dressing the House in 1873. said:
There can be no question that Is de-
sirable and that the people of the Dis
trtct of Columbia have a right to de-
upon and some basis reached. some set
tlement had as to the amount of ex-
pendftures to be borne by the District
OF Columbia or to be borne by the
Treasury Of the United States
There is but one point more to which
l desire to call the attention of the
House. and then / shall have done. 1t
is the necessity of having some basis
OF expenditure fixed between the fed
erai Treasury and the District treasury.
How can property holder in the Dis
trict of Columbia determine or gauge
the value of his property today? Can
ne tell what tax it will be subjected to
as long as he is left the victim of the
whfm and caprice of Congress? SEES
sion after session you make appropria-
tlon IN your own discretion to aid in
carrying on the necessary expenditures
OF the government of this District The
property holder does not know whether
the appropriation made by Congress
VIII be 10 per cent or 90 per cent of
the expenditures of the District.
Values Are Unsettled,
This condition of things unsettles
IN,
be attached to foot of real estate
owned by a property holder within the
limits of this District because the pur-
,,iin h cannot tell what taxation he
VIII pc subjected to. The people of the
district have right to demand that
you snail fix this question permanently
and finally. If you do not intend to
pear pear more than 10 per cent of the
burden of taxation, then say so: if you
VIII bear so per cent of it, then say so.
BUT whatever per cent the federal gov
erhment Is to bear should be deter
mined and fixed permanently. so that
legitimate and permanent values NAV
De esta blished in this District
one appeal / make to this House in
behalf of this bill. Take it and amend
II as you may deem proper: put in such
provisions as may suggest themselves
TO your discretion, and strike out such
provisions as you are not DISPOSED to
ADOPT But beg Congress to pass some
oIi4 TO sstabilsh some permanent form
of government.
Il cannot believe it to be the duty
OF congress. and I never will consent
oy my vote or voice to make any APP
preparation to be disbursed for the
support of the District until perma-
nent form of government has heen
agreed upon to be intrusted with the
appropriations made by this Congress.
we cannot afford to go into partnership
with bankrupt. We cannot afford tn
pledge the federal Treasury, which is
good for every dollar it guarantees
We cannot afford to go into an un-
limited partnership with a treasury
that is bankrupt. that Is today labor
ing under debt of twenty-odd mill
lions of dollars, unless there be some
limitation put upon the terms of CO.
partnership, or some limitation put
upon the power of those who are to
De 1ntrusted with the conduct of the
AFFAIRS of this District.
Sees Pillage for District.
The people OF this District. no mat
ter at whose hands, have already suf-
Tered enough. They have been nil
LACED and plundered and robbed by
the agents selected by Congress. 1t
Is not their fault that $4,000, 900 or
Sl4.o0o.oO0 of the debt under which
they now labor was fastened upon their
shoulders. You must go back to your
old board of public works, to your
board OF audit, in whose selection the
people of NH. District had no voice
and no part. 1t is traceable to those
agencies that the people of this Dis
trict are today the victims of a debt
that unaided they never will be able
to discharge.
They are entitled to a settlement
OF this question. A permanent form
Judgment. ought to be established in
some shape before another dollar of
money is voted by Congress for any
District purpose. Pass this bill, if not
shape that will be satisfactory to Con-
gress and give relief and protection to
the people Of the District"
SO Mr. .Hendee, during the same dis
II think the provision in this bill in
making the burdens of the expense and
aeot bear equally upon the United
States and the District of Columbis is
questions of this kind and will save
the time of Congress in discussing the
subject each year. as has beer done
heretofore People owning property
can then know what is its real value:
Jor today property is almost 1rorthless
here, from the fact that this great debt
OF s23.oo0.o0o stands as mortgage upon
me property of all the citizens, and
they can never sell or dispose of it or
piecge II adyantageously, until the ex-
tent OF that mortgage is ascertained
by some Congress. That is what this
bill does; and 1 think II one of the
wisest provisions that could be inserted
IN any organic act by the government
Of the District"
The Proportion of the Expense Of the
Distric. to Be Paid by the General
Government Should Not Be Less
Than one-Half.
When the current District appropria
tion act was under consideration in the
House OF Representatives 1t was stated
that joint committee of Congress in
1875 had reported that reasonable
division of the expenses of the District
between the general government and
the people Of the District would he in
the proportion of 40 per cent by the
FORMER and so by the latter II Was
even stated on the floor of the House
that IL took the local lobby" two years
to induce Congress to depart from
this recommendation and induce Con-
gress to make the government contri-
button 90 per cent instead of 40 per
cent tCong. Rec. vol. So, p. $3.50
The report referred to was that Of a
POINT select committee which was an
pointed by virtue Of a concurrent reso-
lution of the Senate and the House of
Representatives In August, 1875. during