Evening star., 1915-11-30
The Vital Issue.

fcll1gent questions concerning INC
halt-and-half plan propounded at
yesterdays meeting of the Pastors
Federation were those which devel-
oped the thought that too much
money for District needs is or will
be raised under the half-and-half
plan and the suggestion that in the
best interests OF the District its reve-
nue. from liquor licenses should not
be duplicated by the nation. 1t has
been shown clearly that the sur
pluses' OF the last few years have
been artihoially constructed, in vlo-
lation OF existing law. and do not
represent any real excess OF revenue
over genuine and urgent needs OF the
capital municipa lity. But it is also
recognized that the steady increase
in the already heavy realty taxes and
the possible addition OF new taxes
may hereafter result in the raising CT
more revenue than the sum equi, a
lent to one-half OF the capitals an
nual needs. In this event it has been
urged in The Stars editorial CORE
spondence and il has been suggested
at the hearings before the joint con-
gressional committee that a surplus
be prevented by emitting the half
million revenue from liquor licenses
from duplication under the half and
hall plan. thus killing two birds with
one stone.
There are many who agree with
the prohibitioniSts as to the bad pol
icy OF duplicating liquor license
money under the half and-half plan
and would unite with them to elimi-
nate this revenue from such duplica-
tion. On the other hand, there is no
other class of Washingtonians which
IS more clearly interested in mainte-
nance OF the halfandhalf plan. thus
modified, than the proiibitionists
The loss OF revenue under prohibi-
tion, which might easily be con-
ceived as bearable by the local tax
payers il under the continued half
and-half plan the nation contributed
annually to capital upbuilding a Ger
tain definite sum. proportioned to
local property taxes. and amounting
to six or seven million dollars, would
loom mountain high as threat to
the local community OF excessive tax
alton on other lines, if through de-
struction OF the half-and-half law the
national contribution were reduced
in amount and rendered fuctuating
and uncertain. The local taxpayers
might spare the revenue from liquor
licenses, but they could not spare the
equitable, definite, national contribu-
tion under the half-and-half plan as
revised and brought up to date.
Projects for moral betterment al
ways suffer first when on account of
a shortage in municipal revenue pro-
vision for meeting some of the city
needs must be omitted. The strong
est advocates of certain definite
and equitable national contribution
toward capital upbuilding should be
those OF US who are sincerely con-
cerned in such moral betterment.
Washingtonians should not be con-
fused as 10 the vital issue in this dis
cussion. 1t is the issue raised by the
House in the last Congress when.
nislcd into erroneous beliefs by un-
truths concerning the taxable re
sources and tax burdens Of Wash
ingtoniaus, it sought TO repeal the
half-and-half law in order 10 dou-
BILE the present tax burden OF
the local community At the recent
hearings Washington has demon
strated the falsity OF the alleged
facts upon which this belief and this
action of the House were based. In
resisting this unjust and run-tllreat-
ening attack practically all Wash
instonians stand together We ought
not TO weaken the strength OF our
united resistance on the vital issue
By exploiting unduly our individual
theories and "fads" and by wrangline
over minor details.