Evening star., 1915-10-30

United States; the effort has been to
reduce all appropriations and to limit
and to postpone useful improvements.
expenditures and projects. and at times
contribution by omitting items from
appropriation bills and including them
in separate acts where the entire cost
would be placed on the District has
gress a spirit of i1liberality; 1t COM
pels for its maintenance a constant
fight on the part of some of the peo-
pie. who. resenting criticism and at
tack from Congress. are fearful always
of the repeal or modification of the
plan
Such conditions existing between the
governed and the government are nee
essarily injurious and, IL continued,
will prove disastrous
Fundamentally, 1 believe the half
and-half plan is unjust.
II the government should desire to
create additional parks and to take
thereior large tracts of land within
ther the area of privately owned and
taxable property. would 1t be fair to
impose one-half of the cost upon the
c1tlzens, who are amply provided al
ready with parks, and without voice in
such proposed occupation? Such a
taking might be only for the purpose
of greater national city and not at
all beneficial to the citizens, because OF
the withdrawal of the property taken
from private use and enterprise and
taxation
Suggests Fiscal Plan.
Mr.. Hamilton suggested the follow
ing plan in place Of the half-and- half
system:
"First-For fair and equal assess
ment of all tangible personal property
a n I Yrfy ofnl, cfnt n
improvements thereon
Second-For full but fair and rea-
sonable tax to be levied upon this fair
and equal assessment, such a levy as
would. as suggested. compel the people
of the District to pay taxes in equal
amount to but not in excess of the
taxes paid by the citizens of other
cities of like population for municipal
support
"Third-A requirement that the taxes
so levied and collected should be paid
into the Treasury of the United States,
designated part, of the annual appro-
priation by Congress for the support
Of the District of Columbia
"Fourth--A declaration of the intent
that Congress would. on estimates pre-
pared by the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and approved by the
Secretary of the Treasury, appropriate
sufficiently and literally for the ex-
penSeS OF the government or the Dis
trict without reference to the amount
derived from District taxation.
Mr.. Hamilton concluded by saying:
Protect the District by providing a
fair and equal assessment, and full,
but fair, rate of taxation to be levied
only on privately owned real estate and
Improvement: and on tangible personal
property; avoid proportionate contribu-
ton to the expense of government.
which, of necessity. creates a division
and separation of interests and view.
and breeds contention, and let Wash
ington be. in fact, what the trainers of
the Constitution intended it to be. the
great capital of a great nation, to be
nourished, expanded and made beauti-
full by and for all people of the United
States, the people of the District of
Columbia contributing their fair share
only
II believe this protection would be
best insured. and with it would come
a fuller knowledge of relations, a
closer touch and a more American
status if representation in Congress
were granted to our people who are
now deprived of all voice in legislation,
are taxed without their consent, and
deprived of that right which the found
ers of the republic fought for, and
which the Declaration of Independence
declares to be of inestimable value, the
freeman's right of representation and
government"