Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-19

dit bttilS taxed 100 H1Sn.
2 In these words the committee yigor-
= "USlv indorses the half-and-half law as
: absolutely fair to the nation in exact
s ing from the District every cent of tax
: money tand perhaps little morep that
: could equitably be demanded in con-
y formity with the wise standard of meas
:. urement and of intercity comparisons
: approved by the committee. Clearly the
Y haif-and-half law ought not to be
= changed If the result is to increase tne
! lngtonian and TO make heavier his tax
: burden. What change has ever been or
: is now, proposed which does not have
/, this effect?
Nation Pays Too Little.
: The committee declares that Gnder the
!, half-and-half law the Washingtonian
: does not pay too little 1t also affirms
: that under this law the nation does not
: pay enough. Running through the re-
: Tort is the suggestion that the national
= expenditure upon the nations city
: should he largely increased and not. as
! demanded by the last House be radi-
J caIlN decreased or entirely eliminated
) And Senator Works takes this position
: unequlVoCaliy. pointing out in snecific
! detail the neglected obligati ms of capi-
9 tai unbuilding and urging the more lib
eral appropriations of national money
{ needed TO meet them.
{ The committees words on this point
: are as follows:
All Of this means that the nationa |
! CITY the nations home. should be a
!, district where the national authority is
$ not only supreme, but d district where
: the Just pride of great people should
: insist upon its maintenance in a man
: ner most fitting TO the dignity of the
ci'izens whose manifestation of central
government it is.
! As a conclusion. which should be of
\ the greatest weight. We urge upon Con-
: sress that its appropriations for the
Z expenses of the District of CoIum bfa
! should always be in such sum as will
: not only continue the city of Washing
ton and the District of Columbia in
every respect as the splendid and beau
III III central residence of this great ma
! tion, but also cause il to become and re
! forever maintained as d model for all
! the cities Of the world.
. Our unanimous conclusion In = &
: that the Congress should pursue a def
: mite policy of regular and liberal ap-
: preparations, having in view not only
; the permanent moral and phyfical ad-
vancement OF the city hut a1so ft. pre.
eminent beauty ard gr-ndsur a. the
, municipal expression CT the nations
! nome and its peoples rr-de.'
: No Indefinite Fluctuating contri-
: button
. The Joint committee in finding that
= an ARBITRARY haif-and-half provision is
: 10 longer needed to compel the eauita-
: bic relations between nation and CAPT
!, TAI which, it thinks. should exist. yigor-
! "usly approves the principles of tina
! legislation. II has been contended that
. me national contribution toward capital
EFfENFrl ~
y nothing. according as the spirit noyed
81 eaCn recurring session. The Joint
committee SAYS concerning the indeh-
I mite huctuatInS contribution PROPOSE
: non oar unanimous conclusion is
That the Congress should pursue
dehnlte oolicy of regular and liberal
) appropriations
; In response to the contention that the
: 4'1al contribution should be subject to
SUDDEN increases, nuctUating and uucpr-
tain. the Joint committee saws "Dur
uatlfHouS conclusion is that the rate of
|, taxation iH the DIstr}Et should lie dxed
and certain; that there slouid be no
! greater e&action from the people of the
!. District Of coluu bia than "a tax com
= Parable IT. assessment rate and amount
= 4" that pad by the residents of other
eitles similar In population and location
, 10 the 'llE OF Washington and that
me annual property tax in Washington
. al thls time, approximately SIG per
!, capita. meets these conditions and in
: me JUDGMENT OF your committee
. Ii d reasous.b BILE tax levy"
= ne abolition OF the organic act If 40
. c"Inpiishtd IN accordance with the re-
= porl OF the joint committee will be a :
tained only by the substitution of a sys-
tehI "hich shaii in the final, impressive
: WORDS oI the Joint committee cans.
: Congress 10 pursue "a definite poIicy of
, regular and liberal appropriations" for
= the advancement of the city and which
: shall cause the taxation of the local
! community, its contribution to capital
/. upbuilding. to he fixed and Certain :,
Any proposed legislation in substit1I.
! uon Tor the organic act. which In final
y result leaves the annual national ex-
peholtufe Tor capital upbuilding inded-
= mite, irregular and ilAheral and leaves
the local contribution through taxation
! nuctuating and uncertain, will not be
!, N accord with the principles OF legisla
) u"n laid down by the joint committee
). and VIII not be In harmony with the
y principles of equity
: indefinite contribution plans of the
\ only type ever proposed in substitution
: Tor the half-and- half system are hos
; tile in four vital points 10 the nrtnci-
= pleS laid down by the Joint committer
flrst they all contemplate increased
: taxation in some shape for the Dis
! tfict, which. the committee says, will
: De lneQuitaDle. since the present tar
: burden is declared to be already album
: hahtIy heaVy Second. they all pro-
: pose a decrease or elimination of ma
Pohdi support or the nations city
: whereas the committee declares tina,
y 10 impose the whole burden upon ths
district would be most negotiable
' ana unjust. and urges increased ma.
: t"nal appropriations. which will no,
: only continue the city of Washington
= and the District of Columbia in every
= respect as the splendid and beautiful
: central residence of this great nation
/. nut also cause il to become and be-
\ i9reVer maintained model for ali
4 the cities of the world" Third the,
: sll fail to propose any Legislation
= which will make fixed and certain
= the taxation of the District resident
= hey all leave this burden of taxation
: 10 shlft from wear to wear in accord
ance with the Judgment of Congress.
{ as to what constitutes reasonable taxa
ton, the opinion Of many members O,
the last House being that no local tar