Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-24
Report of Joint Committee,

MIR. Chairman, in discussing the issue
now before the committee and the Iegis-
lation proposed in the appropria ton bill
which is based upon the report of the
joint select committee, ! desire to bring
your attention closely to the report. II
10 one of the most curious and extraor
nary legislative reports that has ever
been brought to my surprised attention
The joint select committee was directed
by the Sixty-third Congress what they
should d. in the following language:
To submit to Congress a statement of
the proper proportion of the expenses
OF the government of the District of
Columbia, or any branch thereof, in
Guiding interest on the funded debt.
which shall be borne by the said Dis
trict and the United States. respectively.
together with the reasons upon which
their conclusions may be based
THE joint select committee was di-
rected specifically to report the proper
ton of the division of the expenses be-
tween the District of Columbia and the
federal government This was their sole
function and only direction. They have
not reported any proportion, is direct
ed They have merely reported in
doubtful language that there seemed
no longer any need of the so-calIed
half-and-haf plan. I therefore submit
to the committee that the joint select
committee have not conformed to the
When, in 1878. a somewhat similar com
mittee was appointed to fix the fiscal
relations between the District of Co
lumbia and the federal government the
very same directory words were used as
were used by the Sixty-third Congress
in fact. the exact words-and this
committee in 1873 did as they were di-
rected, and, as they should. found the
proportion. Now, l submit. Mr.. Chair
man, that the joint select committee
- i
to do. nor have they done what, by
precedent, their predecessors did In
discussing the joint select committees
report | do not challenge any of their
findings of fact. but | do maintain, first,
that they did not do as directed by the
Sixty-third Congress. and, second, that
the reasons given in their report are
inconclusive and, in fact, would sup
port the maintenance of the present
half -and-half plan rather than it's abo-
lition."
Nothing Unfair Is Asked"
1.-The committee finds that the assess-
ment of the property in Washington
is fair and the rate of taxation is rea-
sonable, and that, therefore. the nation
is not being asked for an unfair con-
important finding of fact needs COM
ment as it completely refutes the
statements made in the Sixty-third
Congress which brought about the ap-
pointment of the joint select commit
tee which. in turn. has led to the
change recommended in the present
appropriation bill. Sensational claims
were made that property was under
valued and that the tax rate was not
fair. Had these claims been known to
be untrue the joint select committee
would never have been appointed and
there would have been no proposal to
change the equitable relations now
maintained between the District of Co
| lumbia and the federal government.
This committee should take into con-
sideration this important finding OF
fact in their deliberations. for II 1t
finds that the very basis for the ap-
pointment of the committee has been
destroyed it means that the very rea-