Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-26

must be protected along with all those
of private citizens.
Police Protection Also.
District Commissioner Brownlow bore
out his statement that the fire depart
ment is larger in Washington than in
other cities when the size of the pop
Commissioner Brownlow also told the
are given police protection, except the
Capitol, which has it's own police
force, by the District government. He
spoke particularly of the White House
which is policed by the District police
and all the big parks.
Mr.. mcfarland pointed out to the
committee that the federal govern.
ment shares in all the municipal serv-
ices given by the District government
including lighting. policing. fire pro-
lection, street cleaning. etc.
Mr.. Rainey asked if the District
didn't call on the soldiers at Fort
Myer to help out in policing the city
at times
There was only one such casion.'
said Mr.. Mcfarland, land that was
when the suffrage parade was going
on. I hope we won't have another
such experience here, and 1 don't
think we will"
Should Pay Share Is Claim.
Mr. Rainey argued that if New Or
leans and Newark. cities similar in
size to Washington, paid just as much
for their fire departments and police de-
partments there was no good reason
why the citizens of the District should
not pay the entire amount for the fire
and police departments here without
calling on the government. Mr.. Nc
Farland pointed out that the govern
ment was here and got the benefit of
these municipal services and should
pay its share for their support.
IF the government should get out
of Washington you could reduce your
fire department and police department
Exactly" replied Mr. mcfarland.
Mr.. Rainey said that the citizens
joint committee urged the retention of
the half-and- half plan in order to
maintain and develop the capital.
District Pays Upkeep.
Are there any other elements of
Identification for the capital outside OF
public buildings. monuments, memo
rails. art galleries, botanical gardens,
parks. amusement grounds and wide
streets?" he asked. Then he tried by
questions to show that the District did
not pay for the upkeep of these build
ings. memorials, art galleries. He was
assured. however, that the District did
pay for the streets and upkeep, for the
parks here and amusement grounds.
Gives One View of Washington.
Representative Rainey said the opin-
ion prevailed to some extent through
out the country that the people of
Washington are very much favored
because of the support given to the
District of Columbia by the United
States. He said that although he did
not share this view, residents of the
National Capital are sometimes called
and that more money is
paid out for municipal purposes in
than in other places.
To this Mr.. Mcfarland replied that.
of course, there is no foundation for
this charge. Mr.. Worthington, who
was sitting near. interjected the state
ment that the paving of streets in
Is done so cheaply that one
contractor refused to take the work.
Senator Works reiterated some of his
arguments that he advanced yesterday
to the effect that the District of Co
lumbia should be abolished, and said
that the United States, for instance.
system. On the other hand, he said,
all enterprising cities have parks.
Just before the morning session ad-
iourned at l pm. Representative
Rainey said it was his opinion that the
United States should contribute prop
srly to the support of the National
Capital. but that 1t was a question of
proportion with him. He said he want
ed to know whether the United States
should contribute more or less
Defends Present Tax Levies.
the joint citizens committee. was be-
fore the committee all yesterday after
noon. completing his general statement
in defense of the half-and-half plan.
Much of his statement was to show that
the taxes levied in the National Capital
were as heavy as those levied in other
cities of a similar size. He presented
Ia les from census reports showing that
the taxes here averaged well up with
those in other cities.
Representative Cooper Of Wisconsin
expressed surprise that with such gov
eminent figures at hand members of
the House In the last Congress had con-
tended that the people of Washington
were grossly underassessed.
Il cannot see any reason why the Of
ncial figures of the United States gov
duced, and why they should not be con-
elusive upon the question" said Mr..
He said the census bu-
reau adopted the method of comparing
the per capita taxes of cities as the
fairest method of comparison. He add
ed that 1t seemed remarkable to the
citizens committee that the House
should accept the statement Of under
in the District when the Of
ncial figures proving otherwise were at
the disposal of the House.
Denies Truth Of Story.
While Mr.. Macfarland was referring
to the estimates prepared by the Dis
trict Commissioners. Senator Salisbury
asked II those were the estimates
which. as he had read in one of the
local newspapers, the District Commits
sioners had appealed to the White
House to save from destruction by
Congress.
Commissioner Brownlow, who was in
the committee room at the time, i'm
mediately rose and said there was not
one word of truth in that story
Compares Tax Burdens
Here and in Other Cities;
Cites Aid for Capitals