Evening star., 1916-01-07
yateay owned real estate in Washing
ton is fair and reasOnnble."
Senator Works adds on thi

| stroyS the contentious upon which
repeal of the haff-and-half law was
demanded by its assailants; and then
recommends in effect that the law be
repealed. Since the reasons for its
repeal have failed and since no need
is shown to exist which will be met
by its repeal, why should it not in
consistency be permitted to stand in
respect to other future expenses as
well as in respect to the funded debt?
| Running through the report is the
suggestion that the ha1f-and-half re-
striction should be removed in order
that the national expenditure upon
the nations cny may be largely in
creased, and not, as demanded by the
last House, be radically decreased or
| entirely eliminated. And Senator
Works takes this position unequivo-
cally, pointing out in specific detail
the neglected obligations of capital
upbuilding and urging the more lib
eral appropriation of national money
needed to meet them.
The committees words on this
| point are as follows:
"All of this means that the national
city, the nations home, should be a
district where the national authority
is not only supreme, but a district
where the. Just pride of a great people
should insist upon its maintenance in
manner most fitting to the dignity of
the citizens whose manifestation Of
central government it is.
"As a conclusion. which should be of
the greatest weight, we urge upon
Congress that it's appropriations for
the expenses of the District of Colum-
bia should always l,e in such sum, as
will not only continue the city of
Washington and the District of Column
bia in every respect as the splendid
and beautiful central residence of this
great nation, but also cause it to be-
come and be forever maintained as
model for all the cities of the world.
"Our unanimous conclusion is that the
rate of taxation in the District should
be fixed and certain; thar the Congress
should pursue definite p Olicy of regu-
lar and liberal apprOprfa tons, having
in view not only the permanent moral
and physical advancement of the city,
but also it's pre-eminent beauty and
grandeur as the municipal expression
of the nations home and ITS peoples
pride."
Wa ashington heartily appreciates,
and is profoundly grateful to the
joint committee for, its patient,
thoughtful and impartial considera-
ton of the important questions
brought before it; for its decision in
favor of Washington on the vital
issues of alleged underassessment
and undertaxation; for the declara-
ton in substance that in a remeasure-
ment of the local conmunity's obli-
CATION toward the capital it is fully
meeting its obligation to pay reason
able taxes; for remeasuring the ma
tons obligation In capital upbulld-
ing in the enlarged terms of keener
and more enthusiastic patriotic pride;
and finally for declaring for hxity and
certainty in the local communlty's
tax contribution toward capital up
building and for definite policy of
regular and liberal appropriations for
capital upbuilding by the nation
through Congress.
The specific legislation to be pro-
posed in the District committees will
make clear the method by which.
eliminating the ha1f-and-half proyi-
sion, fixed, certain and equitable local
taxation and definite, regular and lib
eral appropriations by Congress for
capital upbuilding are to be assured.
Meanwhile the half-and-half provision
is existing law, and, as such, will, Of
course, be obeyed. The decision OF
the joint committee denying the ex-
istence and validity of the reasons as
signed for the immediate repeal Of
| this provision as unfair to the nation
makes it easy for Congress to give to
the reshaping OF the organic act the
wise, careful and deliberate considera-
ton which the vital importance of the
legislation demands.
The half-and-half provision is not
only the national pledge of definite,
regular annual contribution toward
capital upbuilding; it is also the local
community's safeguard against exces-
a
sive and inequitable taxation by tax
ing body in which it is not represent
ed. When Congress took from this
community in 1873 the privilege of
municipal se1f-taxatbon, which had
been exercised since 1900, it provided
the unrepresented community with a
safeguard against unjust taxation by
causing the alien taxing body in tax
ing the unrepresented community cor
respondingly to tax itself.
Ii the capital is to continue to be
deprived of the power of self-taxa-
tion some safeguard against excessive
taxation as effective as the half-and-
half provision will, of course, be sup
piled if the latter is withdrawn. Either
full representation in Congress
through constitutional amendment
will be quickly given, as suggested by
Senator Works; or the community's
tax burden In some sure way will be
made fixed and certain, and not sub
ject to capricious and irregular in
creases, as suggested by the joint
committees report.
! Il