Evening star., 1915-11-14
TO CLOSE INQUIRY
0NKALF AND HALF.
Final Arguments Before the
Joint Committee to Begin
Tomorrow Morning.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
HAVE ASKED TO BE HEARD
Report of the Investigation, There
fore, May Not Be Ready for Fill
ing Before January.

The closing arguments before the
joint select committee of Congress in
vestigating the fiscal relations between
the United States and the District of
Columbia will begin tomorrow at 10
o'clock. These arguments must be
completed Tuesday, according to the
ruling of the committee yesterday, and
every effort will be made to have the
hearing wind up by / o'clock of that
day.
Henry B. f Macfarland. chairman OF
the joint citizens committee. will be
the first speaker in defense of the
half f-and- half plan. All the testimony
is in and the arguments offered from
now on will be largely in rebuttal. Mr..
Macfarland will be followed by Her
bert J. Browne. who is opposing the
continuance of the half-and-hal plan.
The representa- tives of the joint citi-
zens committee have been awarded
six hours for argument. and TINS Tune
will be divided among Mr. Mac1ariand
Theodore w. Noyes and A. ,. worth
ington.
The opening argument Will be made
by Mr.. mcfarland, others Will be
heard before Mr.. Noyes speaks, ana fol-
lowing him the remaining addresses
Will be made Mr.. Worthington, 1t is
expected, closing the entire argument
before the committee.
May Ask for Time.
District Commissioner Brownlow SAID
yesterday that he might ask for time
after ne had heard the arguments pre-
sented, although he was not sure he
would wish to say anything further
The committee agreed to hear him if
he should desire it.
The committee arranged yesterday to
give W. D. Mackenzie, representing the
Tax Reform Association. an hour. and
also granted an hour to w. = kehoe,
and a half hour each to c. c. Lancaster,
A B. Johnson and A. S. Trundle.
The public hearings before the COM
mittee began three weeks ago. and the
committee sat for six hours each day
with few exceptions. An enormous
amount of testimony has been taken.
and, in addition to this testimony,
briefs have been filed by the joint citi-
zens' committee, by the Tax Reform
Association, by Herbert J. Browne and
others. The printed record and the
briefs will soon be in the hands of the
committeeman for their further. consid-
Grafton.
Members of the committee said last
night it was possible that their report
in time for submission to Congress
when it convenes in December, al
though under the law creating it the
committee has until January l to file
its report. Some members of the Sem
ate and House have expressed desire
10 be heard. and il is possible that the
committee will sit to hear them after
Congress meets, thus delaying its re-
port
Desire for Definite Ratio.
The desire of many of the citizens
OF the District for some fixed, definite
ratio Of contribution to the capitals
expenses by the federal government
has been made manifest Witness after
witness has explained to the commit
tee why the citizens believe that the
ratio must be definite if the capital
is to continue to develop and the citi-
zens of the District are not to be made
TO hear very heavy tax burden. The
raafn reason given by these witnesses
IS that unless the ratio is fixed there is
10 assurance that Congress will appro-
Driate any money for the capital over
and above the taxes paid by the citi-
Zaus of the District. and that there is
70 assurance that il will not increase
the taxes of the citizens to meet all the
expenses Of the District in the future.
Regard Plan as Not Practical.
While the witnesses in favor of the
half-and- half or some other fixed divi
sion have been willing to admit that
the suggestion supported by Senator
Works. Commissioners Newman and
Brownlow and former Senator Black
burn, providing that the federal gov
ernment would pay all the expenses of
.he District, and the citizens would pay
reasonable amount of taxes into the
federal Treasury, is ideal in theory,
they have insisted that such plan is
no: practical. And they have given
reasons for their belief.
The committee took a recess after the
morning session yesterday until 10
O'Clock tomorrow morning. and no wit
hesses were heard yesterday afternoon.