Evening star., 1916-04-14

constitutional amendment proposition.
that there is no dissent from the su6-
gestion that the constitutional amend
ment must be long postponed. or that
the adoption of the delegate proposition
viii without question help to bring
about this fuller and only genuine rep
reSentation proposed by the constitu-
tiQnal amendment There is a distinct
difference of opinion upon that point in
the community.
In the first place, the grant Of a vote
less territorial delegate. or even the
proposition to re-establish a territorial
delegate, would recall in the minds of
many the hardships. the injustices, and
the humiliations. and renew the bitter
prejudices of the period between 1871
and 1874. when we had such a terri
torial delegate: when we had. in addi-
tion to the territorial delegate. "A form
of territorial Legislature and thus had
IN those years, with. on the whole un-
satisfactory results. greater degree of
territorial representation than is pro-
posed by the Poindexter bill.
Those who doubt whether the grant
of territorial delegate would help
rather than retard the grant of fun
, representation also have in mind thar
the real test of what shall be granted
mere In the District is in the national
opinion concerning the quality and the
extent or the voting constituency, the
electorate here. Many of us think that
When the quality of that electorate is
- " the test IL Should De under con-
ditions which will give us the full
peneht of all that is valuable In the
present makeup of our capital COM
munity. that will attract as voters in
! the District practically all the high
grade Americans residing voluntarily
IN the capital. Those of such Ameri-
cans who enjoy the voting privilege in
he national elections in the states will
ne SLOW, many of them, to surrender
that right merely to vote for a voteless
surrender readily that right IL they
| might vote as in a state for senators,
representatives and presidential cleo
tors In the District
If fun national representation were
granted TO this community proposed
ny lhe constitutional amendment. the
result would be n voting constituency
unsurpassed IN any congressional dis.
trlct OF the republic. Numerically,
| morally. intellectually. and materially
voting constituency would be provid-
ed which would cause the District to
rank well up in the list of small states
and surpass number Of them. Our
business and professional men, the
educational. scientific. literary and art
1Stc elements of our population, our
workingmen in public and private en-
ploy. our government clerks and other
government employees, our winter resi-
dents in process of conversion into
Washingtonians. combine to constitute
one OF the strongest, most intelligent,
most publc-spirited and most Amer
/ lean of communities in the republic.
| In regard TO the material resources
of the community which entitle it to
| consideration approximately as state
| | would like to insert few words in
! the record which show the comparative
real estate valuations of Washington
with certain larger cities. according to
the census of 1913 Washington is as
sessed at $50s. s.OO0.O 900 plus.
| Senator Pomerene-That is, realty
alone?
Mr.. Noyes-That is realty alone and
I that is the basis of assessment Our
assessment is at two-thirds. That is
the 100 per cent value placed upon the
property by the assessors. The assessed
realty of Baltimore at 100 per cent is
s$72.o00.oo0+; Cincinnati. s375 ZOO. .000+:
Minneapolis. 1927, ,00O,0 ,000+: Buffalo,
$43s 900. .000+: Detroit. s447, 1000, ,OOO+.I /
give only few cities simply to suR-
sest that Washington in its realty val
ues has the taxable resources that en-
, title 1t to respectful consideration.
! Senator Pomerene-In those other
cities you have given simply. the tax
valuation as it appears OF record. 4
| take it? ~
Mr.. Noyes-No: that is the 100 per
| cent valuation.
! Senator Pomerene-Does your S5OS-
/ O00, 900 here in the District include the
public buildings:
| Mr.. Noyes-Oh. no: this is what we
| are assessed and taxed on; the valua-
v. j
these hgures from my remarks before
the fiscal committee. We contend that
the standard of assessment applied here
10 realty is much higher than that applied
IN the other communities. and do not
mean TO claim that the fraction of
property in Washington that is held
under private ownership is worth $780,
100000 or 5000. 100000 mote than all the
property held in private ownership In
these other cities; but after making all
allowances for the superior activity or
our assessors here it still remains that
we have here, in comparison with
much larger cities and in comparison,
with great many of the states, realty
values that constitute what would cor
respond TO state resources that entitle
US to the same consideration IN the mat.
ter OF material resources that we are
entitled to in point of population and
IN point of intelligence of our con.
Stituency.
Then the same lesson is taught in
the matter of national taxes Now.
the only national taxes that fall di-
rectly and unmistakabIy on the citi.
zens of the United States are the in,
ternai revenue taxes. including the
excise. corporation and individual iu-
come taxes. Washington. in 1914. con-
tributed more in these national taxes
than twenty-five of the States: 1 mean
IN absolute amounts. Its per C.. Ji,.,
contribution was greater than that az
thirty-SiN states. In other O. ds a.;
contributors to national take. IL.
NaShinStonians contributed more tha
the citizens of thirty-six states ami
less than the citizens OF only twcl,s
states
One word more about the effect of
granting Il territorial delegate upou
the grant of fun representation later
mere rs IN that course the danger that
many congressman viii treat the grant
OF a Notelcss territorial delegate AL
most lhpotent, as Il satisfaction in
fu!l Of their obligation to give ade-i
duate representation to the capitaI
community. and as Il result the consti-
tutional amendment will be shelyed
ana Noteless delegate in one hous,s
may become the permanent substitute
Tor adequate voting representation in
both Houses. That should be pre-
vented from happening, senator's in
any event, no matter what is done in
regard to the delegate proposition
Those OF us who are intent and in
tent alone, on the constitutional
amendment do not look upoh this ter
rltorlal delegate under the conditions
that exist as national representation
at all Our point of view would be
developed by the question, Mr. Chair
man, that You asked as to whether
there could not be as well "A delegate
IN the Senate as in the House Wa
look upon the territorial delegate as
merely the legislative agent of the ter
ritory with the privilege of the floor
of the House for the purpose of speak
ing and not as a part of Congress-
under the Constitution.
ln hal;