Evening star., 1915-11-12

derS replied. The government mas IL
remedy. I think the government coult
use remedy as I would certainly u.s.
1t If l had one
Herbert ]. Mrowne then began al
Interrogation of Mr.. Saunders as to th'
value. in Mr.. Saunders opinion, of spe
cffic parcels of real estate in the Dis
trict. He went into the question of th'
valuation of the Home Life building
the Southern building and other pieces
OF property, during which Mr.. Saunder:
said he did not think s45 a foot woulc
be too high a valuation for the land OF
which the Southern building stands.
Senator Works suggested, during this
examination of Mr.. Browne. and before
It had proceeded very far. that 1t woule
be fnadvisable to go into specific de
tails as to particular pieces OF prop
erty.
we invited this gentleman here" he
said. TO give us his views in genera
way Representative Gard made the
suggestion that it might be better in
future to have the committee members
| make any examinations or conduct any
interrogations that might be needed.
| Mr.. Saunders completed his testimony
with the statement that he believed
the present rate of taxation in the Dis
! trtct was fair, If a fair assessment was
made.
| Ex-senator Blackburn Testifies.
| Former Senator J. c. s. Blackburn OF
| heiituChS, WHO was CndlTI1dn oI lue
House District committee at the time
of the passage Of the act of 1878. Great.
ing the present form of government
for the District and the half-and-hall
| plan. was the next witness.
| He told the committee that the condi.
tions in Washington before the pas
sage of the organic act were deplora BILE
| and could not be well comprehended
| except by those who were in Washing
ton at the time.
All sorts of governments had beer
tried here" he said. The greatest
trouble here at that time, however
was that the people were unable to fiy
values on real estate. for there was nc
fixed rate of taxation. Sometimes the
| taxes would be high and sometimes
| low.
| Sometimes Congress would make
what appropriations it saw fit as the
| governments share of the expenses of
| the capital, and at other times it would
appropriate nothing.
| Some of US in Congress arrived at
| the conclusion that it was most i'm
portant that the rate of taxation be
| fixed here. and after the fullest kind OF
| an investigator it seemed to me that
| the provision embodied in the act of
| 1878 was a fair arrangement, at least
the fairest arrangement that could be
| obtained at that time. I did not then
believe that the taxpayers should pay
tai 1t was only an approximate ar
rangement. I thought 1t the best that
| could be obtained, and consequently /
| favored the half-and-half plan.
Friendly to People of District.
Il wish to say that I was at that
| time very friendly to the people of the
District of Columbia. and 1 am just
as friendly to them today.
| 'If the half-and-half plan was fair,
| or approximately fair in 1878, it is
not fair now. For thirty-six years
there has been a shifting OF the hold
1t has all been one way. The govern
ment has constantly been acquiring
more land here. and it has never parted
with foot Of its holdings. This has
DESTROYED the equilibrium which was
the basis for the half-and- half plan.
The citizens of the District, believe
| are paying more than their share of
the expenses Of the capital now. The
status of 1878 no longer exists For
| that reason 1 believe that the half
and-half plan should be done away
with.
The federal government ought not
| to be In business partnership with
any one. 1t is beneath the dignity OF
| this great nation to be in a business
partnership with the taxpayers of the
| District of Columbia.
4 think that the property holders
here ought to pay fair and reasona BILE
tax. based on what a fair tax is in
other cities. The collection of these
to do with the payment OF the ex-
penses OF the District by the federal
government.
Would Abolish Partnership.
| THE partnership between the gov.
ernment and the District ought to be
abolished. 1t has lasted longer than
1 thought 1t would last when the act
of 1878 was made a law. 1t has an
swered the purposes for which it was
enacted better than I hoped for.
1T has never been the policy of the
federal government to maintain busi-
ness partnerships with private persons.
1t does not insure its property.
Congress should fix the taxes here,
and when collected they should be COW
| cred into the United States Treasury.
And every penny expended for Wash
ington should be appropriated for di-
rectly out of the Treasury.
1t has been said by some that Con-
gress would be parsimonious In its
treatment of the District. / have nc
sympathy with that fear. There is not
| country to the wishes of the people
than the members Of Congress. TIC
charge cheeseparing in the appropria-
tions for the District against Congress
would be to charge 100,oo0.0o0 people
of the country with parsimony toward
the capital of the nation
Mr.. Blackburn said he would not al
ter the power of Congress over the
District one iota.
Necessary to Stop Wrangles.
II see no way out of the wrangle
which goes on in every Congress over
the appropriations for the District"
he continued. unless this partnership
sary to get rid OF these wrangles.
Il have no regret nor apology to
make for the act of 1873. 1t has done
we'll. But the time has come now
when different arrangement should
| be made.
However. If this committee should
reach the conclusion that one-half Is
| a proper share for the government to
pay of the expenses Of the District,
would like to see the half-and half
| plan continued. But I believe that the
citizens of the District are entitled to
better treatment than this.
| Persons who live In the captta]
ought to be benefited because of their
residence here. or penalized therefor. .
| Senator Works asked Mr. Blackburn
| IL there was any public sentiment
among the people throughout the coun-
try against liberal appropriations 70,
| the capital.
On the contrary" said Mr.. Black.
burn, Il believe that the people OF tn.
country would have the capital treated
generously. No such sentiment as you
describe exists except as pictured by
those gentlemen in Congress who wish
| n curry favor in rural ~ OF ~, -.