The Washington herald., 1915-11-06
caring as accumulated surplus Of about. % o@ on
Not q Complicated situation.


District of Columbia.
IT do not anticipate that any member
of this committee would seriously pro-
pose to this Congress a reduction OF the
tax rate In the District OF Columbia.
When you realize that / per centum In
cludes a great many State and county
taxes which you pay in your home cities,
1t must be apparent to each Of you that
the present tax rate. at least. Is not
oppressive. On the other hand. l think
IL must be apparent, also, to every MEM
Der of this committee that when you sit
down and calmly consider the appropri-
ating habits OF the Congress OF the
United States you will know that Con-
gress is not going to make appropriations
for twice the amount OF these increasing
revenues of the District of Columbia"
you say that this committee would
not consider a reduction In the tax rate?'
queried Senator Works.
Eyes, SIR"
1T don't know why you say that II
the committee should abide by the half
and-half plan they would have to lower
the tax rate to do away with the Dis
tricts surplus under the present rate"
II was speaking from my knowledge OF
the temper OF Congress" explained MI.
Newman.
ct do not know why the temper Of Con-
eress should influence this committee"
retorted Senator Works.
.'It would seem that the question Is
whether the temper OF Congress Is
welI-informed temper" supplemented
Representative Cooper.
Some States i know Of have per
cent tax rate" suggested Representa-
tive Gard"
Splitting Street Car Tickets.
Continuing, Mr.. Newman said:
81 now want to make a statement TO
the committee which will not be re-
ceiyed with enthusiasm in some quar-
tiers of the District Of Columbia but
which / am compelled to make because
1 am absolutely convinced OF its truth.
I believe that 90 per cent OF the fric-
ton between members of Congress and
citizens of the District of Columbia
and 80 per cent of the friction between
individuals or groups OF individuals In
Congress. or the District OF Columbia, Is
due to the Very existence OF the hai-
and half plan. because 1t causes every
thing in the District to be discussed on
the basis of the half-and-han and not
on the basis of the merits of the sub
ject under discussion.
For instance. here is a case In point:
In the last session OF Congress bill
was introduced providing that police
men and firemen OF the District Of Co
lumbia should ride free on street cars
when In uniform. II was referred to
the Commissioners for report The Com
missioners sent up an adverse report
on the BILL
The bill was before a committee OF
Congress for hearing. and in that
hearing one member OF the committee
said: I am inclined to agree with the
Commissioners on this In Directing TO
the free passage OF policemen and fire
men on street cars. think the Com
missioners should issue tickets to them
whenever riding in the performance OF
their duties Two members of the COM
mittee Ieveled their fingers at the new
member and said. But you don't real
lie that the United States has got to
pay half Of every one Of those tickets.
When you come down to splitting street
car tickets you have reduced your con-
sderation of the affairs of the District
to terms OF absurdity. This Is not an
extreme case: 1t is a typical case. We
can never eliminate that sort Of dis
cussion until we get rid Of the half and
half.
Let U. $. BE Tax Collector.
Going back TO the fact that the DOM
lnant element in the question under con-
sideration is the national government,
come to the declaration OF the plan of
fiscal relation which Commissioner
Brownlow and believe should exist be-
tween the District and the United States.
The national government should pay
all the expenses of the District of Co.
lumbia. just as II pays all of the ex-
penses of the Agricultural Department.
the Navy Department. the War Depart
ment. the Department OF Commerce and
of all other executive departments or
branches of the Federal government. 1t
should pay all bills out of any moneys
in the Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated. So much for what the Federal
ought to do in the District
of Columbia.
Now what should the $4,000 people
In the District do? What should the
second. minor element in the equation
do? Take an individual member OF that
group OF $4,000. take a man. John
Hobbs, living anywhere in the District
of Columbia. John Hobbs should pay
into the Treasury of the United States
q fair and reasonably sum OF money for
the privilege. protection and civic rights
that he enjoys by living In the District
of Columbia. All of the John Hobbses
in town should pay a reasonable and
fair sum OF money because they live
here, just as everybody in any city pays
for the privileges and advantages Of
Hobbs would pay It into the Treasury Of
the Unitede States. a tax for the privilege
of living here. That money should be
covered into miscellaneous receipts along
with moneys derived from internal rev.
enue, customs receipts. income tax, post
office receipts and all the other moneys
that the United States collects, and II
should bear no relation whatever to the
amount of money that Congress appro-
PIRATES for the establishment and up
keep of its National Capital.
Tax should Be Fair to All.
"Of course, IL the committee should
look favorably upon this plan, which is
variously known as the Hoar plan, the
Sims plan. and. latterly, In somewhat
different form, the Works plan. one very
important question will have to be de-
termined. That is the question Of how
much John Hobbs shall pay. I trust that
IL this plan does appeal to this COM
nittee, If 1t should decide to recommend
its adoption to Congress, that the COM
mittee will, upon its own initiative and
with its own facilities, obtain the informa-
ton which ought to be OBTAINED in order
to tx that amount at q figure which win
be fair to John Hobbs and fair to the
national government. would most earn
estly urge that you do not accept the
of any agency other than
your own. The resolution creating this
committee carried an appropriation for
its expenses. II that appropriation Is in
sufficient, am sure that the moment
Congress meets you can get additional