Evening star., 1915-11-17

ESDA L, NOV EMBER !
and 1904. the first one in 1910," re-
marked Mr.. Brownlow.
DO understand" asked Representa-
tive Rainey, that when Congress has
has appropriated more because prior
10 that time it appropriated less than
one-half?"
Congress Strikes Balance.
mo; when Congress has appropriated
more than one-half in one year it sub
sequently appropriates less than one
half, and struck the balance during
these number of years"
Did 1t appropriate less than one
half because it had in prior years ap-
propriated more than one-half! Is
that the reason for it?" Representative
Rainey continued.
Il do not know that that is the rea-
THAT was purely accidental-the fact
that the final average of all these years
from 1878 down is 5O-5O-that is an ac-
cident. is it not?''
Commissioner fBrownlow answered:
st hold that 1t is. think that the
table that have considered OF the ap.
propriations of these years SHOWS tnat
conclusively.'
Mr.. Ratney continued. "It is not the
result of any attempt on the part OF
the Commissioners in their estimates,
that during the whole series OF years
the act had been complied with, Is II!
Limited in Estimates. -
Commissioner Brownlow said that since
1909 the Commissioners have been limited
in their estimates to double the amount
Of the revenue received, and since that
time in every year the disbursements have
grown up until all Of those advances are
now being disbursed. and for the nrst
time this last fiscal year, the District OF
Columbia had a surplus Of $24O,O00, ana
next year it will be over a million"
Representative Gard asked:
would not the fact that since 1878
there has been practically the apportion-
ment of half-and-half indicate a design
rather than an accident?"
Commissioner Brownlow answered: 4
have not been able to find any satisfactory
statistics for the time between 1878 and
1901"
'Is not that fact, that it did work out
that way-would that not almost be a
controlling set of statistics indicating that
q. design was had, that 1t had worked OUT
on a plan?'
Half and Half Extended.
May 1 remind the committee" said
Mr.. worthington, that in 1906, after
the half-and-half plan had been in
force for eighteen years, the House
referred to its committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia the question Of
whether the half-and-half plan should
not be abolished, and that committee
came back with unanimous report,
which Congress accepted, giving rea,
sons why it should be extended. And
,~;x snf oI I'M O.
the Commissioner a question in view OF
what Mr.. Rainey has asked him, and
that is whether Congress in these later
years has appropriated, as you say.
more than its one-half. whether on the
part over so per cent it charged the
District interest?'
Il know it did," Mr.. Brownlow an
swered.
1T made loan to the District?' ask
ed Mr.. Worthington.
''It made a loan to the District, agreed
Mr.. Brownlow.
Mr. Worthington asked further: How
was that situation different than If it
had borrowed from somebody else =?
because as shown in the Mayes' report
here, and the auditor in conversation
with me has confirmed it, 1t made all
the difference in the world on what day
OF course, it was stated properly at the
end of the fiscal year, but for the first
ten months of every year 1t was all ad-
vanced."
Moneys Come After May.
Mr.. Cooper asked: Moneys do not
come until after May?
Moneys do not come in until after
May" explained the Commissioner.
The first ten months of the year the
federal government runs it all any
how, and it appropriates. and the only
account over there is the appropriation
account. Mr.. Mcfarland spoke of their
unexpended balances of appropriations,
credited one-half to the District and
one-half to the United States. An ap-
preparation is not money, an appro-
priatiOn is an authority to spend
money, and when all the money required
to be spent under an appropriation is
made. of course, there must be a credit
on that Appropriation to close the ac-
count. 1t does not mean that any
money is credited. 1t means bookkeep-
ing there to close the appropriation ac-
count"
Question as to Representation.
There is one question I should like
to ask you about the proposed or desired
Representation on the floor of the
representative" said Representative
Cooper. what would you think of a
proposition to have one of the Com
missioners of the District authorized
to appear on the floor and submit data
to be examined by members of the
House when the bill Is up for debate?"
Il think it is an excellent idea," said
the Commissioner, "and l should like
to see members of our cabinet there
also, and 1 have no doubt you would.
too. One thing about the delegate
question, if you elect a delegate.
think you ought to elect the Commits
sioners. or, at least. the majority of
the board of Commissioners. SO as to
have some unanimity. But If you have
Commissioners appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States and a dele
gate elected by the people, and that
delegate were ever, for personal or po-
litical reasons. opposed to the Com
missioners, and the Commissioners es-
Inmates went in, unless the delegate
was interested and inclined to be an
able advocate, he might be a very able
adversary"
What harm would that be if he rep
resented the people and not the Com
missioners?" asked Mr.. Worthing-
ton.
1T might not always be true that