Evening star., 1915-10-30
OFFERS SUBSTITUTE
FOR HALF AND HALF
George E. Hamilton, President
of Capital Traction Com
pany, Files Brief.
SUGGESTS D. C. TAXES
BE PAID TO TREASURY
Would Then Have Congress Appro'
pirate Sufficient Funds to
Meet Balance.

|
Meet Balance.
| A plea for the abolition of the half
and-half plan for the payment of all the
expenses of the District from the federal
Treasury after fair tax had been levied
, on the residents of the District, and for
representation in Congress for the people
! Of the District, is contained in brief
filed yesterday afternoon with the joint
select committee of Congress investigat-
ing the fiscal relations between the United
States and the District by George E.
Hamilton, president of the Capital Trac-
ton Company.
Mr.. Hamilton. in his brief. states that
he is a longtime resident and tax
payer of the District, and that he desires
to submit his individual views on the
matter under consideration by the COM
mittee.
After declaring that there always had
been a well defined opposition to the plan
for a fixed proportionate contribution by
the federal government to the expenses of
the District, Mr.. Hamilton continued:
II do not find in the provisions of the
act of 1878 the elements of immuta BILE
contract. but see in it only direction
| by Congress to it's appointed agent, the
| District of Columbia, establishing the
| apportionment of expenses, adopted
after much debate and contention, as
| good and sufficient to meet fairly well
| the then existing conditions and rela-
tions. but subject to change always
and at any time at the will of Congress.
Il believe that the revenues derived
| from taxes assessed and collected in
| the District of Columbia and paid into
| the Treasury of the United States be-
| came the revenues of the United States,
| to be appropriated for District needs as
| by Congress directed: that no con-
tractual relations in such control or di-
rection between Congress and its in
| strumentality of limited authority were
created or intended to be created"
Discusses Authority of Congress.
Discussing the authority of Congress
over the District, Mr.. Hamilton says:
There is no element of private prop
| erty in the right of taxation conferred
on a municipal corporation, a limited
right subject always to revocation,
| modification and control by the legis-
| lative authority of the state. Clothed
with this absolute power. Congress en-
| tered upon the control of the District
| of Columbia.
"At the time of this entry a dual de-
velopment, federal or public, municipal
or citizen, was begun, and has during
| the years continued to grow side by
side-the lines of separation becoming
more and more indistinct, and the de-
pendency of the zone upon the other
| more fixed and positive.
| "On the one hand we find a large area
| of land within the District, owned and
| occupied by government buildings and
utilities and crowded with employees
| who are resident here. The streets
| the public reservations and parks
are the property of the government,
and recently large reservations and
parks have been added, and more pro-
jected. and it is now proposed to make
useful the waters of the Potomac by
| harnessing it's power at Great Falls at
| the cost of many millions of dollars.
| Because Washington is a capital
city. educational institutions have been
brought here and occupy large tracts
of real estate, and these, by laws of
| Congress, are exempt from taxation.
Charities and charitable institutions
share also in this immunity.
| Thus we find the proportion of un-
taxed and non-taxa BILE real estate in the
! District of Columbia exceedingly large
larger, I take it. than any other city
in the United States.
| Position of Residents.
"On the other hand we find side by
tion that section of the District private
ly owned, occupied and developed by its
residents. These are without self-goy-
ernment or representation in govern
ment; they are, however, necessary to
| the existence and to the developme 1t
and progress of the federal capital. and
| while they have received and are re-
| ceiving much from the government,
they are. in some respects. handicapped
| by government location and the condl-
| tions thereby created.
| LAS stated, they are deprived of self
| government; d large proportion of the
| real estate is withdrawn from assess
ment and taxation; federal occupation
and purposes and desires negative the
esta blishment of manufactures and
similar business operations which con-
tribute so much to the growth and
progress of other cities; the citizens OF
| Washington are dependent upon the
government, but they are also essen
tial to the government in it's desire and
intent to make Washington the great
est capital city of the world"
Because of these interdependent rela-
| tions, Mr.. Hamilton declared, "a clear
line of separation is as impra ctical as it
would be nnuSeful."
THE expectation Of the nation and
the hope of the people of the District
fair mindedness of Congress. whose di-
rection shoTld be regulated by the
sense of equity rather than bv the rule
of power, and between Congress and
our residents there should be accord
and confidence. We do not and should
not desire to be an isolated number
of private landowners in the District
but part and parcel of an individual
federal city whose progress and der
lvclopment should be the joint effort
and interest of Congress and of the
people residing here. the people con-
ttributing. and required only TO con-
Tribute, through taxes equally assessed
and fairly levied, what citizens of other
cities of like population pay in sup
port of their municipal government
the government to contribute without
the weighing of rights, the measuring
of proportions or the matching of dol
lars the balance required for the ex-
penses of the government of the Dis
trict of Columbia a unit, and not
as a territory divided between the gov
ernment and the people, and, there
fore, divided against it9elf.
Has Tindered Growth, He Says.
MY observation of and contact with
the affairs of the District force me to the
conclusion that the half-and-half plar
has hndered rather than promoted tht
growth and development Of the Nationa
Capital.
sl-.N - 1tV,SJ II