The Washington times., 1915-11-15

be regulated by the propert, It owns"
said Senator Works. my views are
quite tile opposite. I simply wished to
know what you thought OF ex-senator
,sla :kburn's Ideas on that point; M ! can can.
crnnent should build Its own Capital.
and not measure dollars and cents with
the taxpayers here no matter whst
other capitals may do. II Congress VIII
here have a right to COMPLAIN The
fear that Congress will not do that
seems to be the entire fenr that We
have heard expressed here
r Macfarland's Statement.
Mr.. Macfarland's argument follows
In part:
The Joint citizens committee is
made UP of delegates from the Board
Of Trades chamber Of Commerce. Fed,
Grafton Of Citizens Associations, Retail
Merchants Association. Bar Associa-
Builders and Manufacturer Ex-
! change, Northeast, Columbia Heights.
and Georgetown Citizens Associations.
in each case delegated by appointment
or election, according to the rules OF
the particular organisation. and with
full powers. They are the representa-
tive civic organizations. and their
membership exceeds $500. They are
pubic ana UCtNe III OIL SiN'S
and philanthropic enterprises.
I'm turn the Joint Citizens Commit
tee empowered Its executive committee
to represent II before the Joint select
comniittee OF Congress. ana TO advo-
cate the maintenance of the half-and-
half plan. No consideration was given
to forms of government. or the suf5
frage. or the forms Of taxation.
"lt Is significant that besides single
takers. very fow less than . dozen citi-
ha, raA In nnnOaltiOn .thA
half. and-haIf plan. A revolution In the
fiscal AFFAIRS Of a city. even II II Is the
Capital. ought not to be made when SO
few people come to ask for II.
Single Tax Repealed.
"As to the sinsle-taxers, whether Of
ficials or private citizens. ! have only
to say that. beginning with the Henry
George, jr.. report, there seems to be n
concerted effort on their part to abolish
the half-and-ha!f plan in the interest Of
their panacea. They frankly said In this
hearing. however. through two Of their
number. that II the half .and-haif plan
were abolished without the adoption Of
their panacea. the effect would be OPP
presstve and DISASTROUS Their most
practical statement was that one city
In the United States. even though q
under the single-tax system. But Pueblo
is already tired Of the single tax, ns the
single-tax law was repealed this month.
Lot me add that our policy has been.
since the committee was organised. in
March. to furnish light without heat.
Criticise Measures.
Our criticisms arc of measures, not
men. Our protest has been against the
George report and bills founded on its
now disproved assumption. that II prop
trly taxed the District people could pay
all the Districts expenses. and so
abandon the half-and- half plan.
''Cnwillingness to appropriate national
money for District purposes under any
Plan. and a desire TO make the District
PEOPLE pay all the District expenses.
caused the alara which defeated those
measures. and resulted In the appoint
ment Of this committee.
I'm destroying. as we have done. the
foundation stons Of the opposition to
the half -an6 half plan. namely. tho A.
scrtion that in 1912 the real property In
the District was worth Tl4. 4.O0,oo. we
q change.
All Plans Considered.
Reviewing the hearings. We OBJ
serve that all the measures suggested
in substitute for the half-and-half
plan. except perhaps the single tax.
were proposed and fully considered
between 1874 and 1873. when the or
ganic act was In process OF evolu-
tion. =
"Mr. Blackburns opinions are al
ways entitled to respect but their
strength depends on their reasons and
not on his name. He gave reasons In
1873 for the adoption OF the half-and- :
half plan which, are as appropriate
He cited no changed condition. ex-
cept that the Government had acquired
more land. although In 1873 1t owned a
larger proportion OF the then city
than 1t does of the present city.
"Valuable Fiction"
'It Is claimed by the civil Commissions
ers that the half-and-half plan is "a
legislative fiction" and has long since
been practically abandoned by Con-
gress. although they grant that It had
Psychological effect in producing the
habit of annual appropriations based
upon the wants Of the people Of the
District.
"This seems to me a valuable result Of
a legislative fiction, Indeed. II suggests
that the legislative fiction ought to be
continued. and that there Is nothing in
the claim that 1t Is obnoxious to Con-
gress as whole.
But the best answer to the claim
that the half-and-haif principle is
nothing but a legal fiction Is the actual
action Of Congress up to the present
fiscal year under that principle.
Table Prepared.
"A table prepared at my request by
the auditor OF the District. giving the
total OF all the appropriations for Dis
trict expenses from 1878 to June 30,
1915. shows that the total appropria-
tions payable half-and-half from the
| District and national revenues, respec-
| lively, from 1878 to 1915. are $270. .07i, ,457 =
"a. OF which the United States paid half
and the District half, and that in add
ton the District paid from its revenues
IS. .917. .l6O.s9 under appropriations and
Appropriation charges. and Ss2o. 1861 in
refunding erroneously collected taxes.
etc. which. Of course, being merely a
refund of revenue collections. Is prop
erly chargeable to the District. Out OF
a total appropriation. therefore. OF
$276. .02l 6lS13 for the thirty-seven years
only s. 5,947, 50 was made wholly out
Of District OF Columbia revenues. a
very small percentage In so large a
| total amount.
"The table presented by Commissioner
Brownlow showing appropriations for
| the period 1900 to 1914 illustrates Just al
strikingly the. insistence of Congress
upon the observance of the half-and- halt
plan imposed by 1t upon itself and the
District taxpayers.
D. c. Accounts Separate.
| Much has been made, in support OF