The Washington times., 1915-11-12


sso. He asked Mr.. saunders whether
he thought the Capital needs help now
as badly as II did then.
Our condition 10 better now sna con.
gress should see that 1t remains so'
"I,ut the Government has contributed.
on the average, s5,00O.OO0 year to the
Capital" said Congressman Gard,
1T has the equivalent Of that expen-
diture." said Mr.. Saunders.
How" asked Mr.. Gard.
"In parks, public buildings, and wide
streets where the l00.o000W people OF
this country are welcome said Mr..
"But the Government paid outright
for lis buildings" replied Mr.. Gard.
"It helped pav for some OF the parks.
and paid outright for others.'
Suppose the Government wished 70
go further" said Senator Works, and
pay FOR some OF these bridges Il has
been said you need. DO you think the
people should be taxed to raise half
that amount?'
Ought To Pay Outright.
Mr. Saunders said he thought the Gov
crnment ought to pay for them out
right He said these things were Incl
dents to developing a national capital.
Congressman Cooper asked him whetn-
er he considered the present tax rate
too high. He said the rate was all
| right II the assessments were right.
Turning to Commissioner BrownIow.
| Congressman Cooper said he would like
! to be eniiRhtcned on the point Of wheth-
| er the tax rate was fixed by the act
Of 1873. be said he had been informed
| II was not
Commissioner Brownlow. resaing from
compilation of the act OF MS ana
| amendments bearing on 1t. said the
act did not appear, at first, to hx the
rate because II stipulated that the dow
ernInent should pay an amount equiva-
Commissioners, and then the taxes
should be levied to cover that amount.
He said that, n little further down. II
was stated the rate should not exceed
' H.O
Then the Commissioners- might NJ
a lower rate?" asked Congressman
Cooper.
! Don't Fix Rates.
, Mr.. Brownlow said the Commission
ers did not now fix the rate. Mr. Mac
farland said the provisions OF the ac
OF 1902 had obviated the necessity OF thu
before that they haf. always done &c
fixing II each time at N.50.
Mr.. Saunders concluded by saying h
believed the people Of the United State
Of the Capital ',ty. lie said he hn'
travelled extensively IN American citic
and had sounded public opinion on thi
point. and II was the Impression. I,
many places, that Congress entirely de
frayed the expenses OF the Capital.
Before you leave I wish to ask on
question: said Congressman Cooper
Down In Potomac park the . Is Dem
completed, will he one Of ,-c mos
beautiful monuments on the face o. tn
globe. Across the river is Arlington
the home of Rooert f. Lee, and tn
sleeping place Of the nations hoEore
dead. II was brought out here INA
Analostan Island had been bought wit
the idea OF erecting gas plant. d
yop think the Government should rcr
No" replied Mr.. Saunders. the Gov
ernment should stop II. II can do SO. -
MIR. Browne started to question Nj
Saunders but Senator Chiffon ruled tha
the questioning wopld be confined {
committee members.
Siddons Gives Views.
Justice Siddons. when called to tn
! stand. began at once with a descriptio
: Of conditions In the District with n
Interruptions.
, II have no wish to pass Judgment o
3 past legislation. nor on the citizens c
: the District" he said. but l do wis
70 say tHdt tne last tnITrf wear
= the half-and-half plan has been III
4 cause OF irritation. and there never ha
been a proposal to spend money whe
It 10 not In evidence.
= II believe the effect has been unfol
= tunate. because time and again II ha
prevented needed improvements bein
!%r There are are several other reasons VIII
E II has worked harm. II has had It's ei
feet on the assessors office; It ha
= hampered the Commissioners in maxim
! up estimates. and II has affected III
t attitude OF Congress In approachin
such estimates. Moreover. It is clea
to those who have been here some tim
that the time has now arrived whe
the plan produces surplus OF rev'
: nue."
, Justice siddons said the appearanc
= OF such a surplus has led, unconscioui
iy. to holding down the assessments
, a point where the amount derived sha
= not exceed In any one year the amour
e II is thought Congress will contribu
=, and. secondly. such a surplus leads Il
:, Commissioners. also unconsciousiy.
:, look around for places where mon,
y may be spent.
. Commissioners Hampered.
!. THE Commissioners have been ince
= sanity embarrassed. surely was. wi
= the spirit OF vexation and irritatit
Il which almost reached a feeling Of no
bers OF Congress.
II Il believe Commissioer Brownlow h
probably suggested the wise course
e pursue. Even before reading Commi
e sioner Brownlow's statement ! WI
d much impressed by the resolution O
;, fercd by Senator Works"
i. Justice Siddcns said he did not b
r. lleve there ever could be a successf
contract relation between the Nation
Government and the District OF Colui
bia He said he found no evidence
such contract in the organic act
d. 1873. :,
m Il have heard the act OF 1878 extoll
as q compact. but ! find no warrant
Justify that destination, either In CO
= stitutionai theory or In any specihc
It OF Congress .
=, Justice SIddons then turned to
assessment problem and said ne
10 lieved the intent OF the act OF ~
J. making a wo-third value the minim'
Sc assessment, had been completely
versed In practice until the two-thir
a limitation was now regarded as I
D. maximum.
lie described the events leading
N TO the passage OF the act. saying u
es Just before there had been sha
s. decline over previous assessments
es said the reason tor the enactment
IN the So-called two-thirds' rule was
is prevent further reductions in the