The Washington times., 1915-10-30
CITIZENS TO COLLECT
MORE DATA ON TAXES
Committee to Take Advantage
Of Delay in Congressional
Investigation.
Continued from First Page.)

heard later In the day. Permission
was granted In both cases. and Mr.
Johnson began to talk In opposition
to the half-and-talf plan.
While Mr.. McKeiway was talking
Congressman Cooper asked him what
he thought OF n scheme to have the
Government buy each year certain
ground for parks and make avrious
puplic improvements, and then with
draw It's aid after these had been
You overlook the streets" said Mr..
Mckelway. Il believe the Government
should help pay for them
-. did not mean that that was all
the ala the Government should eX-
tend. said Congressman Cooper. but
] wondered whether that arrangement
would not settle one phase OF the mat
81 believe It would" said Mr.. Nickel.
way. "and at the same fime it would
give the Government a chance to let the
ncople Of the District look after the
affairs which concern them only"
Summary of History.
Nr. keelcy resumed his argument
this morning with summary Of the
history OF District affairs leading up to
the period between 1874 and 1878. which
marked the transition period OF the gov
ernment Of Washington. He endeavored
:" show that the passage of the half
and-ha!f act was merely an incident to
a wider consideration of the whole dues-
ton OF the relation of the Federal to
the District government.
This half-and-half plan was before
CONGRESS for four years. year after
year" he said. In 1s7i II was conceded
that some new form of government
would have to be provided but for four
Years the half-and-half plan was dis
the table.
During this time Congressman were
well aware of the Governments obliga-
tons to the Capital. improvements had
been made here most OF them costing
three times as much as they were worth.
and Congress was willing not only TO
nav half. but any share which was
p'SSperKi% Ks.,.v than ouo,., ,u, ,.,
ments of members OF Congress of that
time to show that they took II for
granted that the Government was un-
der obligations to Washington. The
question congressman were consider
ing, he said. was not whether the
Government should recognize its oh
legations to tho District hut whether
IT should 80 legislate in this payment
as to practically abolish the District
of Columbia"
That was the dominating thought
that held the Government back four
years from extending aid" he said
Il claim that the half-and half plan
was only considered by them az an
Incident to bigger problem. They
were more concerned about such que -
tions as the>colored vote. for example
than about what share the Govern.
ment should pay"
Outlived Usefulness.
Mr.. Kelley told the committee he be-
lieved the half-andhalf plan had out
lived Its usefulness and had been
adopted originally as a necessity Of the
occasion rather than the Judgment of
Congress. His Interpretation of the
organic act was that II concerned main
ly the form OF government In the Dis
trict and the half-and-half contribution
principal was only incidental.
The suffrage question. Mr.. Kceley
said. had entered largely into the situa-
added. was one who did not favor Civ
Ing the colored man the vote at that
time.
Would not the question Of the
co'or"d vote enter into the situation now
In considering self-government? asked
Senator Works.
1T does. and the astonishing thing Ia
That 1t does" replied Mr.. Kelley. The
colored population here is only abou,
~ per cent OF the whole. and probably
one-third or this Is per cent Ia "A fOat-
Ing element which would never qualify
for the vote. think that the morality
OF the average colorcd citizen who re.
sides here permanently is about as
good as that OF the white citizen. 1t is
The floating colored population that gets
drunk and is found in the police courts
In the old days. when the District had
suffrage, illitcrate colored men were
voted In squads, but we have had
schools for forty years. and don't
thihk you would find any such condi.
tions today"
Mr.. Kelley said he advocates a COM
mission form OF government. with a
commission Of five or seven members
the majority to be elected by the peo.
pie of the District and the others to be
appointed.
Such body. he said. was preferable
to Il mayor and a council. and would
give better administration.
Mr.. Keeley advocated the taking over
by the Government of certain functions
here. such as police and fire protection
and the payment for their support out
or Government revenues. Such plan
he said, worked satisfactorily in Buenos
Aires. where nolicc protection was az.
for'cd Dv federal soldiers
He insisted that the Government
should pay all expenses incidental ia
the functions of Federal Government
while the District ought to nav the
expenses for the city itself as a muni-
cipality. The Government contribution
he added, might be 25 or 40 per cent
or more. but 1t should be pro-rated In
this manner.
Much Of Mr.. Keeleys statement to.
day was an exhaustive review of the
earlier history of the District, and the
debates in Congress incident to the
passage of the organic act.
To Collect More Data.
Members of the citizens committee
will take advantage of the recess over
Monday and Tuesday OF the Congress
sional committee to confer and prepare
further data to be presented when the
hearings are resumed Wednesday.
II. B. F. Macfarland today said that
Monday and Tuesday would be a busy
time for his committee.
The citizens committee has alrea dy
set to work to gather facts with which
they hope to riddle the arguments pre-
sented by Herbert J. Browne, who at
tackled the half-and-half plan.
Just what form this rebuttal will take
has not yet been decided Mr.. Mac
farland and A. S. Worthngton both
have been making copious notes during
the teStimOny nf npppnpnts af ~, l,,If