Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-24

ly the national contribution: under the
will o the wisp substitute every dol
lar of local taxation that can be eX-
torted by alien taX-imposers decreases
correspondingly the necessary national
contribution. Which system safeguards
the welfare of the unrepresented and
impotent local taxpayers?
Hereafter If the plan of Messrs.
and shannon becomes the law Con-
Eress Mt each session IL to say how
much the District and how much the
nation shall pay toward capital up
building under a system which makes
every dollar exacted from the District
on the pretext of collecting "reasOn-
able'' taxation reduce correspondinRIy
the national contribution. In forecast
system II must be remembered that
the most active representatives who
have interested themselves cOnspicu-
Ously In District affairs In the last
House have indicnted the belief that
1t would he equitable md reasonable
to double taxation In the District; that
the capital com immunity alone can with
out hardship raise between S14,OO,OOO
and that the nation should contribute
little or nothing. And LEGISLATION put
ting this view into practical operation
was pushed in the House almost to the
point of success.
VIII not these men, persistent, able
and incessantIy viEilant. sOOn have
their way in the matter of this hostile
and destructive legislation, If the half
nnd-haif obligation which has been the
obstacle in their path In amy pre-
text eliminated. without the Substi-
tuition Of some equally definite express
sion of the national obligation In it's
place. There has not been n time since
1873 when Washington was in more
desperate need of this shield and
buckIer which hns often protected
1t from financial disaster. Only ingrati-
fude and monumental folly would
voluntarily now cast II cOntemptuOus-
ly aside.
The Lesson of the Record.
This hasty review of pertinent capt.
tai history suggests the following con-
clusions:
l. The fuctuatine plan of indefinite
contributions. fixed from year to year
by Congress. deprives the capital of
the effective safeguard against excess
sive local taxation and of the guar
anty of a substantial annual capital
contribution by the nation. with which
the half-and-half plan blesses it,
.. 1t furnishes no ground whatever
of stimulating, and enlarging the ma
tion's sense of obligation toward the
capital. This will O the wisp plan,
under which the nation through Con-
gress fixed from year to year the ma
to 1878. During this period the ma
tional obligation was primary, exclu-
sive, dominating, Just it is today.
The nation. with full liberty to meas
ure its capital obligation In dollars
and contributing what it pleased, con-
tributed little or nothing. The indef-
mite fluctuating plan brought distress
to the capital and shame upon both
nation and capital. Should we be eager
to revive it and return to it"
he nf dafir 10
contribution toward the capitals mu-
nicipal expenses, which has prevailed
since 1873. has no tendency to prevent
the nation from spending what it
pleases OH national lines for capital de-
velopment through other appropriation
bills than the District bill. If. under
the stimulus of pride in and affection
for the capital. the nation had at any
of Brazil in respect to Rio and of Ar
gentina in respect to Buenos Aires.
there was nothing in the half-and-half
plan to restrain it. On the contrary.
through the operation of the organic
act itself, that national pride In the
nations city was developed, which has
inspired the nations affectionate con-
|sideration and fostering care OF it's mod
ern capital. Since the half and half
plan has thus had no tendency to check
or discourage the most liberal eNpendi-
lures on exclusively national lines in
ca pital development. the abolition of
this plan will have no tendency to make
Congress more patriotically liberal on
either national or municipal lines. The
expectation that this expanded sense
of national obligation will result is the
baseless delusion of pipe dream.
To surrender the solid benefits Of
definite proportionate contribution un-
der the organic act in order to grasp
at the visionary allurements of indef-
mite f1uctuating contribution is to drop
the substance In order to snap at the
shadow.
4. The Indefinite contribution plan
suggests the dangerous experiment
of faith or hypnotic cure for
parsimonious and recalcitrant congress-
men. The man who frets under the re-
quirement that his outraged constitu-
ents must contribute cents per capita
toward capital upbuilding, and who de-
clares they should contribute nothing,
will. It is urged, be instantly trans
formed into the ideal benefactor