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

by the committee from the examination
of these facts was that the United
States should contribute a regular fix
ed proportion of the expenses of the
District of Columbia amounting to at
least one-half, as at present. He said
that the joint citizens committee was
composed of delegates from the Board
of Trade, the Chamber of Commerce,
the Committee Of One Hundred, the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
the Retail Merchants ASSOCIATION, the
Bar Association and the Builders and
Manufacturers Exchange. and that all
its members had worked to secure the
data which the executive committee put
in shape for the joint select committee
of Congress The executive. committee
had under the instructions of the joint
citizens committee prepared a BRIEF
and filed it with the joint select COM
mittee of Congress before the hrst OF
August, according to promise made to
that committee March A5. and that the
executive committee was now ready to
present the facts and the arguments
in detail in support of the positions
taken in that brief.
Citizens Take Great Interest.
Great interest had been taken by the
members of the civic organizations rep
resented and by other citizens who had
contributed, in small amounts. the
money requisite for the employment of
statistical and other expert assistance
and for other necessary expenses. Facts
had been furnished. in response to the
committees request, by the District
Commissioners. the census bureau, the
Treasury the Interior. War, Navy and
Commerce departments. by the officer
in charge of public buildings and
librarian of the District of Columbia
and by the director general of the Pan
American Union and others, all show
ing a spirit of cheerful cooperation
was general desire to aid the citizens
committee to be of service to the joint
select committee of Congress In its i'm
portant inquiry.
had kept in mind the actual question
before the joint select committee of
Congress. namely. what proportion Of
the expenses of the government of the
District of Columbia should be paid by
the United States and the District, re-
spectively. and has concentrated its
attention upon that one definite sub
ject He said he wished to record his
self sacrifice shown by his associates
in the seven-month effort to properly
collect and present the facts.
Opposes Half-and-Half Plan.
Herbert J. Browne told the joint COM
mission that he represented a large
unorganized portion of the residents of
the District and a large constituency
outside the District which would have
no other hearing" He added: Il am
opposed to the half-aud-half plan"
He asked the commission to grant
him an opportunity to argue on GER
tain issues of fact which he claimed
are raised by tho brief of the joint citi-
zens' committee and presented today
r1ap
He then began an attack upon the
assessors Office:
ct claim that the assessors Office has
so rntsmanaged the assessments here as
to hide the true facts in regard to the
half "a nd half plan. Furthermore
have been unable to get certain neees-
sary information from that Office and
have written to the Commissioners
trying to get 1t.
"As long ago as July wrote 4.
letter asking for information on an i'm
portant subject and have received no
reply"
Turns to Commissioners,
The Commissioners sat behind Mr.
Brown, ten feet away. Turning, Mr.
Brown said:
perhaps the Commissioners wou,d
like to make a report informally now
as to whether or not l can get that
Information, or perhaps the COMM ssh on
would indicate later whether it is
proper information"
For a few seconds 1t appeared that
none Of the Commissioners cared 10
make any reply. but finally Commits
sioner Newman arose, and remarked:
II do not consider that l am here
on this occasion to be cross-examined
by Mr.. Brown"
Mr. Brown went on to assert that the
| Information, or some of it. that he de-
sired had to do with the assessment on
| certain public buildings: that the as
| seasons report had outlined the meth
| DDS pursued in making assessment, and
| that he. Mr.. Brown. wanted to md out
whether they had been applied to the
4,