Evening star., 1915-11-15
Plan to Down ~Bossism."

Mackenzie attracted the attention OF Rep
resentative Gard by saying that witt
graft eliminated only the more intelligen
citizens would vote" The Ohio congress
man expressed by his tone of voic'
that the proposition carried elements O
novelty to him, and he asked for an ex
PLANTATION. Mr.. Mackenzie explained tha
he believed with the advance of purity
in politics and the general demolition o
city bossisn, such local matters as fran
chises, etc, would be voted on directl!
by the people, thus leaving the politician
high and dry, with nothing to grab. moth
ing to be voted for in gangs. In othel
words. to use Mr.. Mackenzie's expression
''the Doodle would be taken from politics.
Senator Works.
In Illinois in 1885, was the reply.
Then you have evidently lost thu
run of practical politics"
Mr.. Mackenzie, in the midst of hi.
plea for suffrage in the District, tolc
the committee. in response to inquiries
that he is still a legal resident of Hi
nois, but that peculiar conditions ha(
operated to keep him from exercising
the right of suffrage.
Outlines Fiscal Plan.
Further on in his statment Mr.. Mac.
kenzie urged as a possible plan for tht
fiscal relations between this city ant
the United States that the government
might contribute, at the rate of S1'
per capita of the inhabitants. and thai
the local government could raise
as much money as was necessary.
Your plan," said Representatlve
Cooper, would allow people here te
tax themselves as high as possi-
ble it would also permit them to tax
themselves as lightly as possible, the
United States still to contribute three
or four millions"
There was discussion of this plan
Mr. Mackenzie held that it would be
possible to correct any tendency to-
ward undertaxation by exercising the
veto power of the executive on all ap-
bills for the District where
the Districts share of revenues was
too small
You can veto some expenditure
said Senator Chiffon, but you cannot
veto no expenditures" He also de-
clared that it might be necessary un-
der those conditions to operate COM
veto and mandamus-
Mr.. Mackenzie yielded twenty min
utes to James Hugh Keely, who de-
clared in his opening paragraph that
the single takers are not the only ad-
vocates of the abolition of the half
and-half." He also declared that the
testimony of former Senator Black
DdlH dlOuc Is suUiCtcHl 10 start Il lie w
venture in District financing He also
took exception to the claim by the
citizens committee that they are
friends of the District. He said that
no one could be termed an enemy of
the District.
I'VE have not termed anyone here
an enemy of the District" said Mr..
Afraid to Trust Congress.
Mr.. Kelley declared that expressions
etc. are not representative because the
have a limited membership
Mr.. Kelley said that he thought many
citizens here were afraid to trust Con-
gress. but that he for one had no such
fear.
They have been told If the half
and-half plan is abolished" he said,
that their taxes will be doubled. !
don't believe it. and do not think that
ment believe 1T. Many residents here
have this fear because they are told by
their banker or broker that if the half
and-half plan is done away with their
taxes will be increased"
Mr.. Kelley said that some persons
Congress to represent the District.
Il do not think such a plan would
meet the needs here at aIl,' he said '.It
would merely increase the District
obby, and lobbies are not looked upon
with favor in this country at present.
What we want is an out-and-out Ameri-
,an plan. 1t is time that Congress cease
making children Of U.s."
Opponents Fail to Agree.
Theodore w. Noyes began his state
ment at the afternoon session by point
Ing out to the joint select committee
that many of those who were deliver
ing assaults upon the half-and- half
plan were occupying positions dia-
metrically opposed to one another He
He said that one speaker declares
half and half unconstitutional; an
other attacks it on the grounds that it
is alive: another on the grounds that
it is dead; another that 1t has never
been alive at all.
He also spoke OF the different plans
that have been presented for reform
ing the tax situation in this city and
asked If it was not true that the half
and half plan offered conservative
course between extremes.
Speaking of the single tax arguments,
Mr.. Noyes asked:
'If 1t is necessary to eQualize tax
burdens as between small and large
taxpayers. in II necessary to double
the burden which falls upon all OF
them"
"Rings Benefit Unduly."
Mr.. Noyes discussed the attacks which
have been made upon the present fiscal
between the District and
the United States on the ground that
certain rings" had benefited unduly
Mr.. Noyes declared that Con-
gress has spent both the revenues from
the District and the governments con-
tribution to the capital maintenance
since 1873 wisely.
THE benefit from improvements here
have been for all the citizens of the Dis
trict and for all the people Of the country
whose capital this is" he said, "and not
for the benefit of any particular ring"
ring" had been benefited it was not
proper now to punish the entire people
of the District because the ring" had
benefited. He pointed out that those
residents of sections who claim that
they have had no improvements would
get no improvements IL the present
fiscal arrangement was done away with
Small Property Owners Suffer.
From him who has not had shall be
taken away even that which he has,
said Mr.. Noyes. He continued that
small property owners here now have
a hard time even under existing con.
ditions. IF the taxes here are doubled
or trtpled." said Mr.. Noyes. "they will
have just so much harder time
Representative Gard asked Mr.. Noyes
why he suggested that the taxes might
be doubled or tripled. MIR. Noyes re.
Piled that he hoped to show the com.
mittee that members of Congress at
tacking the half-and-half plan in thu
Iaat Congress- had intended to double