Evening star., 1916-01-06
Senator Works Introduces
Measure to Transfer Its A.
fairs to the United States.
WOULD RENAME TERRITORY
THE CITY OF WASHINGTON
Also Offers Measure for Condemna-
tion of Snow Court and Build
ing of Homes for Poor.

Accompanying his separate report on
the fiscal relations of the United States
and the District of Columbia. Senator
Works of California introduced in the
Senate two bills, one of which PROVIDES
for the abolition of the District of Co
lumbia as a municipality, and that the
territory now constituting the District
shall be known as the city of wash
ington. The other provides for the pur-
chase or condemnation of Snow court
square IS of the present city OF wash
ington, by the government, the razine
of the buildings thereon and the con-
struction of sanitary dwellings for the
use of poor tenants.
The bill doing away with the D1str1ct
of Columbia as municipality IS, IN part,
as follows:
"That the Commissioners Of the District
Of Columbia are hereby authorized ana
directed to convey to the government OIL
the United States all property of the Dis
trict of Columbia of every kind and
nature, real, personal and mixed, and the
United States government in consideration
of such conveyance shall, and does mere
by, assume and will pay all the debts OF
every kind and nature Of the SAID DIS
trict of Columbia.
Becomes "City of Washington"
That the municipality of the Dis
trict of Columbia shall upon such coA-
veyance of it's property be abolished
and its powers and obligations trans
ferred to and vested in the United
States, and the said District shall be-
come and the territory now constituting
the District of Columbia shall here
after be known and designated as the
city of Washington. and said city OF
Washington is hereby declared to be
the capital Of the United States and
under the direct ownership. control
without the Intervention OF any munich
pal corporation or body.
That until otherwise! provided by
act of Congress the officers Of the Dis
trict of Columbia shall be and continue
as the officers of the national govern
ment, and shall perform for the gov
ernment the same duties now performed
for the District of Columbia. and be
subject to all laws and rules and regu-
lations now in force as to their ap-
pointment, terms of Office and removal,
until otherwise provided by law; pro-
vided. that such Commissioners shall
hereafter be known and designated as
the Commissioners Of the city of
Warrington, and all other officers of
said District shall be known respec-
lively and designated as officers of said
"
IAN privately owned property in the
District of Columbia hereafter to be
designated as the city of Washington,
shall be subject to reasonable and just
taxes. to be used to pay the expenses
of said city of Washington. Provided,
that the rate of taxation and the basis
of assessment of property shall remain
as now provided by law, and all other
provisions for raising revenues for said
District shall remain in force and be
81 of tn
of the city of Washington, as herein
provided.
Puts Entire Burden on U. S.
"All moneys derived from such taxa
tion, assessments or other means pro-
vided by law shall be paid into the
United States Treasury to be applied to
the expenses of said City OF Washing
ton, but the expenses Of the City
of Washington shall be paid by
the government out of its treasury by
appropriations made by Congress, with
out regard to the amount collected from
privately owned property, and the prop
erty owners within the District shall
not be responsible therefor, except for
the payment OF their taxes, the purpose
and intention being to constitute the
District of Columbia. hereafter to be
known as the City of Washington, the
capital of the nation. and to make the
government WhOlly ana alone reSpOn-
sible for it's government, maintenance
upbuilding and identification, and to de-
prive the municipal government of all
control over the same and to relieve the
property owners and residents of the Dis
trict Of all such responsibility or con-
troll except for the payment of such
taxes as may be lawfully asse ssed
against them or their property
Until otherwise provided by act of
Congress taxes shall be levied, assessed
and collected as now provided by law, ex-
cept that the same shall not be based
upon the estimated expenses of the Dis
trict, or the snehalf thereof, but upon a
rea sonable and just estimate of the obli-
cations Of property owners and residents
Of the District as compensa ton for the
benefits and advantages resulting to them
from the maintenance and support OF the
capital by the government in which
they live or own property, according to
the rate of taxation and basis of as
sessment above provided for
"All causes OF action that might under
the laws as they now exist be prose-
cuted against the District of Columbia,
whether arising before or after the
passage of this act, may hereafter be
prosecuted by appropriate action in the
courts against the United States the
same as they may under existing law
be prosecuted against such District