Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28
SAYS Plan Is Not Binding.

Says Plan Is Not Binding.
Herbert J. Browne resumed the stand
when the committee met today. He said
that he wished to amplify statement
made by himself yesterday to the eff
feet that the half -and-half plan was
dead, since the total receipts of all
kinds derived from the District an
nually was in round numbers S1o,oo0,-
600 while the federal governments an.
nual appropria ton amounts to about
S6,000,000.
Senator Chiffon suggested yesterday
when l first made this statement that
the United States must owe the DIS
trict a large sum of money if | had
stated the case correctly" said Mr.
Browne. Il replied that the half-and-
half law is not binding upon each sue
ceeding Congress, that in each appro-
priation bill provision must be made
for the half and half. 1t never was
considered a contract and never was
considered permanent Therefore there
is no debt on the part of the United
States to the District
Mr.. Browne then took up the ques-
ton of per capita expenditures in the
cities of group 2 of census bulletin NO
i26, which includes cities of from
100000 to 100000 population. He
lures in these cities were as follows:
Buffalo, s34.73; San Francisco, s62.49; !;
Los Angeles, s63.53: Milwaukee, SIS. .3S:
Cincinnati. s37.47; Newark. $3.50; New
Orleans, s24-94; Washington, s35.45.
and Minneapolis, S33.50, the average
being S39.99.
yet the per capita expenditures of
Washington are only $3.50" Mr..
Browne commented.
Representative Gard asked if there
were any exceptions, so far as expendi-
lures in Washington was concerned.
None that l know Of" said Mr..
Browne He said that the argument
seems Irresistible that if these cities
selves and issue bonds to pay for pub
lie improvements. it was a hardship to
tax the people of those cities in order
to spare the people of the District
from making such sacrlhces ana such
investments
What is the Indebtedness of the Dis
trict"' asked Representative Gard.
Small Indebtedness Here.
Mr.. Browne then gave the Indebtedness
of the various cities Of group two. in
cluding Washington, as follows Wash
ington. s9,566,1S7; Buffalo. s33,654,772;
San Francisco. s35,S4O,s36; Los Angeles,
$43,444,330: Milwaukee, s14,253,SsS; Gin
cinnati. s66.376,o79: Newark. s44.3oS,-
700; New Orleans, s44,167,S75; Mime
apolis, s23,199.so4.
"Washington has the smallest indebted
ness by far said Mr.. Browne. He re-
ferred to arguments made in the brief
of the citizens joint committee to the
effect that the federal government was
opposed to the establishment of manu-
featuring establishments in Washington,
except it's own.
Il have never been able to find that
the government has opposed the estab-
liShment of manufactures in Washing
tom said Mr.. Browne.
What has prevented the establishment
of these manufactures In Washington are
the extraordinary and excessive land val
ues in Washington, which have been
brought about through the aid of the
federal subsidy to the District, and which
have themselves made the cost of living
in Washington very high. 1t was inn
possible for private manufacturers to
build and operate here because of the
high cost of land and the high cost of
living for operatives.
Take Baltimore, which is similar to
Washington in many ways; the cost of
living there is about one-half what it
is in Washington, and Baltimore is one
of the greatest manufacturing cities
for it's size in the country"
Mr.. Browne said that the anti-smoke
law and the laws regulating the height
of buildings were not properly to be
considered opposition to the establish
ment of manufa curing plants in the
District.
Senator Works called attention to the
fact that similar laws exist in other
cities in the country. including Los An
geles.
Opposes Blocks OF Small Houses.
Mr. Browne said that he hoped the
building regulations in the District
OF