The Washington herald., 1915-03-10
HALF-AND-HALF
PLAN URGED AS
VITAL TO CITY
Absence of Productive Ma
chinery Is Henry L. Vests
Argument.
SPEAKS BEFORE c. OF c.
Shows Wages Paid Govern
ment Clerks Go Back
to the Nation.
SPEAKS BEFORE c. OF c.
MILLIONS FOR MODEL CITY
Capital Will Retrograde Unless U. S.
Bears Share of Expense,
Speaker Asserts.

Washington is city without produc-
tive capacity and composed not of mer-
| chant princes and corporation barons.
| but principally of underpaid government
| clerks, declared Henry l.. West. former
! District Commissioner, in an address last
night before the Chamber Of Commerce.
/ in which nc emphasized the after injus-
tice of abrogdting the half-and-half sys-
tenn and placing upon the shoulders OF
the District d greater burden than now
| is being borne.
| Great stress doubtless will be laid
! by those opposed to the half-and-half
system upon the fact that the govern
| ment pays out in Washington $500, 600
each month in salaries t" its employees,
he said. Our answer to the Joint Con-
! gressional Investigating Committee,
charged with survey of the fiscal rela-
tions between the District and Federal
governments, will he that all this money
goes out Of the District. except the small
margin of profit retained by the retail
merchant.
Money Goes Back to Nation.
The reason is lain and simple. The
money expended in Washington for
| food, clothing. furniture and the other
necessarieS of life goes out of Wash
ington because we produce nothing
that we consume. What the nation
gives we give back to the nation.
contrast Washington with other cities.
Baltimore, for instance, has a high
per capSll wealth because ii is a great
commercial and industrial center. with
more than 10000 persons engaged in
manufacturing or ten times as many
as in Washington. Detroit has $1,000
persons employed in factories of vari-
Gus kinds Cleveland has $4,000. and
Cincinnati has more than $4,000.
Great industrial plants make money
for a city. We do not have them
here We do not want them. and have
always discouraged them because we
felt they would mar the beauty of
the city. Their absence. however. will
always prevent Washington from be-
coming a wealthy city. and. not being
wealthy. we must convince the inquiry
commission that there ought to be a
reasonable limit to the burden of tax
alton placed upon us"
Mr.. West maintained that II was emf
nenIly just and fair Tor the United States
to contribute to the support of tse Dis
triCt government. even though States
gave nothing to their capitals; that the
- per cent ratio was based upon equity.
and that the people here bore their full
share of the burden OF taxation.
lie suggested that immediate steps be
taken to ascertain definitely the extent
and value of government property in the
District declaring that the figures would
Justify tho continuance of the half-and-
half principle. II" also urged that a
publicity campaign he initiated to arouse
nation wide interest in the defense of
the organic act. He asserted it could be
clearly demonstrated that District citi-
zenS arc not uudertaEcd.
Millions spent for city.
Mr. West explained that millions of
dollars are being expended here annually
to max" Washington the model city of
the world He said this high standard
has to be maintained to reflect adequately
through the Capital City the greatness
of the nation, and he added that unless
the nation bears its share of the burden
the Capital must retroGTadc.
Former Senator Marion Butler, of
North Carolina. introduced a resolution.
which was adopted, calling for the ap-
pointment of committee to cooperate
with similar committees from other civic
orGa mutations in the preparation of data
in defense of the half-and-half plan for
presentation before the Joint investigat- /
ing committee of Congress. Senator But /
Ter asserted that when it shall come to
showdown the facts will reveal that
INV i'''iti SoN'i iilll'il Sllouiu pay even
more than half OF the expenses of the /
District government
As a means Of aiding in the solution |
of the local unemployment problem. AL |
bert Schulteis introduced a resolution .
urging upon the District Commissioners !
the immediate grantal of the request of
the Capital Traction Company for per-
mission To construct a railway line down |
Seventeenth street and to install sew
nr. form NJ No nc
adopted and a committee was appointed
to place the matter before the Commits
sioners. Mr. Schulteis explained the rail-
way project would involve an expendi
ture of $4,000. about two-thirds of which
amount would he for labor. and he de-
clared the immediate starting of the work