The Washington times., 1915-10-20

There Is one feature of this bill
which | would ask the Senator nav
ing charge OF 1t to explain. At page
6. from line rs to line 50. IL contained
a proposition that the estimates Tor
the expenses OF carrying on the gov
ernment of the District shall be paid
in the proportion of 80 per cent by
the United states and the other "
per cent by the local population. the
property holders. AS to the justice
of that am not sufficiently instruc-
ted How many people IN the Guy
OF Washington use these expensive
avenues and streets. upon which
such vast sums have been expended.
and upon which such large eXpehdi-
lures in the future are made neces.
sary? The term floating population
will apply better to those VINO i've
here than in any other place OF
which | have knowledge / suppose
that a much larger number or those
who roll so pleasantly over the
smooth streets of this CITY are peo-
pie who pay no taxes Whatever III
it. | do not know how many. and 1
do not know whether the committee
have asCcrtained or sought 10 ascer-
tain how many, of those VINO nave
all the benefits of the expenditures
of this town pay no portion What-
ever Of the expenses or the town.
IL is Simply uDSuli " StpPN
this little town. for that is all II Is.
on the borders of Maryland and Nir-
ginia can be maintained upon the
sca}s which we now see II in. at
such an expense to the local inhabi-
tants. II 1t is to be, as l thlhk IL
ought to be. a Federal city worthy
of the great nation whose scat OF
government 1t is. then IL seems ~
me that by far the greater portion
Of the expense must be borne by
,he Federal Government and not oy
the local inhabitants. Is 1t Just that
one-half of the expense OF these
broad avenues. of these cNtchs1No
improvements. of these luNurious
streets, Is to be borne by the local
inhabitants? It seems to me tnat ~
is unreasonable. | do not think they
can bear it. There is not In TINS
District. so far AS | know, any
manufacturing industry worthy OF
The name. So far as agriculture is
concerned there Is nothing mere
worthy OF the name. The census
shows n mere handful OF people en-
gagged In agriculture ana " sho"s
manufacturing industry less tnen
"a contained in a single block OF a
hundred towns that | could name IN
dIfferent parts of this country
Now what Is the basis upon which
Won are to tax? There must be
wealth or there must De IlouuS
tive Industry that creates wealth.
This town Is the mere center ana
habitation of the employees or the
Goyernment, the clerical force OF the
departments, people who are swept
in and out OF their Offices by the
,bb and flow of the power or po-
itical parties, strangers who come
here during the sessions of Congress
for few days or a few weeks, or
members of Congress whose interests
and whose property lie entirely else
where.
Il want to ask the honorable Scna-
tor who has charge of this bill
whether 1t is just that the people
Of Washington city shall pay the
proportion of one-ha!f of this ex-
pcnsiVe Government, in regard to the
scale of which they never were con-
suited. in regard to which property
that is to he taxed never was con-
siderad, or whether the fraction
should not be much less ! remcm-
Der in debates before today that In
regard to the avenues and streets
here there was law, written or mn
written, which seemed in some way
to be recognized that the charge of
the avenues fCll upon the Govern
ment OF the United States. while the
keeping of the CrOss-strcetS. as ] will
term them. WAS left to the town.
Then there was a proportion Of
about one-third of the expense
which the Government assumed. and
the rest was paid by the local pcpu-