Evening star., 1915-01-08
Senate Adopts Amendment
Permitting United States to
Pay Half of Expenses.
KENYON REVIEWS ATTACK
ON F-AND-HALF PLAN
Johnson Proposition Was to Forbid
an Equal Division Of the
Appropriations.


trict appropriation bill. offered by
Senator Hoke Smith OF Georgia. SO tiia.
the rider would read;
That all moneys appropriated ior
the expenses Of the government OF the
District of Columbia shall be paid out
of the revenues Of the District to the
extent that they are available, and the
balance shall be paid out of money IN
the Treasury of the United States not
otherwise appropriated, but the amount
to be paid from the Treasury of the
United States shall in no event exceed
one-half of said expense"
The effect of the amendment is to
permit the federal government to pay
as much as one-half of the expense OF
the District, should that sum be needed.
whereas the Johnson amendment spe-
cifically provided that the amount PAID
by the federal government should In no
case equal one-half OF the total expen-
ditures.
Amendment Not Seriously Opposed.
The friends of the half-and- half plan
did not seriously oppose the Hoke
Smith amendment. which was merely
to perfect the johnson rider. and the
amendment was adopted on viva voce
vote. Senator Hoke Smith explained
that he was opposed to the amendment
offered by the Senate committee on ap-
propriations. which would restore the
half-and-half principle Of appropriat-
ing for the District, but that he did be-
lieve that II need should arise the
government should contribute as much
as one-half of the amount expended on
the District.
Senator James of Kentucky inter-
rupted the debate long enough to offer
an amendment to the bill which would
have the effect of making the personal
tax. which now applies only to tangible
personal property in the District, ap-
ply also to all notes. bonds. stocks, an
nuities, credits and other known forms
of Indebtedness. He announced that he
would call 1t up later.
The attack which was begun last
evening on the half-and-half principle
resumed by that senator.
Senator Kenyon said that II the or
ganic act of the District has outgrown
its Usefulness 1t should be abandoned.
Undera fair assessment of all the real
estate here. Senator Kenyon declared.
$11,000,000 could easily be raised. He
added that If moneys and credit were
taxed here as elsewhere another $3,000,-
900 revenue would be forthcoming maxi
ing total raised from taxation Of $14.-
O00, ,000
Senator Hoke Smith declared he, too,
believed that the hard and fast half
and-half principle of appropriating for
the District was illogical and should be
abandoned. :, He said, however, that he
believed taxes should be levied fairly
and that the federal government, which
owns such a large amount of improved
property in the District of Columbia,
should be liberal in appropriating for
Senator Shafrath of Colorado inter-
rupted the debate here to point out
that the money raised by taxation in
the District had been raised ander the
impression that the half half plan
would prevail. Under the johnson
rider. he said, it is now proposed that
Congress should apply 100000 or
more of the District revenues to- ex-
penditures for the District without re-
gard to the half -and-half plan.
Calls. It practical Confscation."
He insisted that this was practically
Il conflscation of property. whether the
money had been raised by too low tax
alton or too high.
He added that he believed the law
should be changed, but only after
thorough Investigation into the rela-
tions existing between the federal gov
ernment and the District of Columbia.
1t was urged by Senator Nelson of
Minnesota that the method of taxation
for the District should be changed so
that moneys and credit in the District
should pay taxes as well as real estate
and real personal property.
why not change the law relating to
taxation in the District" said Senator
Gallinger of New Hampshire. There
is no reason in my mind why intangi-
taxed in the District. just as it is taxed
in my own state. 1 have never opposed
the taxation of such property.
But 1 do not believe that an appro-
priation is the place for general legis-
lation. Nor do 1 believe that intangi
BILE personal property should be taxed
at the same rate as real estate, because
it would sometimes work an injustice"
During the debate Representative Ben
Johnson of Kentucky was an interested
listener in the Senate chamber. Speak
er Clark also listened to the debate for
a time.
II do not think this matter of ap-
preparation for the District Of Column
bia should be decided without hearing
| the side of the people of the District
! of Columbia" said Senator Lee of
| Maryland I'm the first place there is a
great constitutional question lying at
| the base of this matter"
rs there any constitutional objec-
| tion," inquired Senator Vardaman of
Mississippi, ito taxing the wealth of
the idle rich who come here to escape
| taxation?"
| everything, TlBnt OF WRONG, Sald
Senator Lee, that is done here is done
by Congress. The money raised by
| taxation of the people of the District
| of Columbia is spent by persons they
| do not select. The people are unrepre
sented and unprotected.
| Il do not know Oft commonwealth
| where the interests of the citizens are
so carefully guarded as are those of
| the people of the District by Con-
! gress,' said Sena tor Vardaman.
Senator KENYON declared that he
| would be very glad to have the people
| Of the District represented in Congress-
and that he was ready to join with the
democratic party to give the people OF
| the District representation on Capitol
Hill.
1.-THE one objectionable crime in the
eyes of the people Of the District is sci :
government interrupted Senator Clapp
\ of Minnesota. you may abolish the
half land half plan, or do anything else
but you must now give them self-govern-
ment For some unknown reason they
| do not want it."
| Senator Root of New York took up
the cudgels for the District of Column
bia and for the half-and-half plan.
II am forced to dissent from several
| of the propositions presented by the
| senator from Iowa." said Senator Root.
He entered upon a description of the
relations of the federal government to
the District from the time that the