Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-22
The Excess D. C. Revenue Delusion

line Excess u. T.. Revenue Deluslon.
Some men, conceding that Washington
is fully taxed and is paying at least its
equitable share of the cost of capital
upbuilding. nevertheless insist that the
half and-half law should. be repealed in
the manner now proposed; and that
every cent of tax money which Congress
in its discretion chooses to exact from
the District shall first be applied in pay
ment of the District appropriations, of
which Congress alone fixes the amount,
and that the nation shall meet only the
deficit, if Congress shall permit any to
be created, as a result of its exclusive
legislation.
These men contend that doubling of
the local tax-revenue under the half
and-half arrangement has come to pro-
duce an amount much in excess of the
sum which can be wisely and eco
nomically' expended in capital mainte-
nance and upbuilding. and that this e1-
cess of available revenue should be pre-
vented by reducing or eliminating the
national contribution.
Washingtons reply to this contention,
as elaborated in editorial correspondence
printed elsewhere in The Star, is as fol
lows:
The amount raised annually under the
half-and-half arrangement in the past
hac al s
enough and has often been insufficient
to meet the capitals needs in current
maintenance and in judicious upbuilding
through great permanent public i'm
provements. Much more than this amount
could be wisely and economically ex-
pended today upon the capital in ac
cordance with the standard set by other
great American cities.
The apparent SURPRISES of District tax
money in recent successive years over
one-half of the District appropriations
are artificial, not genuine.
The District taxes have, by congress
sional pressure on the assessor and in
other ways, been unduly augmented; the
appropriations, on the other hand. have
been cut much below the point of meet
ing the Districts necessities.
The Commissioners estimates since
1909 no longer represent the real needs
Of the District. The restrictive law of
1909 prevents them from picturing the
municipal necessities of Washington.
When the House applies its habit of
cutting down the estimates by millions
to the Districts estimates, prepared in
accordance with the law of 1909, there
results automatically and inevitably a
surplus of unexpended local revenues,
which, however, means nothing except
that Congress has so neglected to legis-
late and appropriate for the capital as
to leave its municipal necessities unsat-
isfed and to do the nations city fragrant
injustice.
The law of 1909, restricting the Com
missioners' estimates, should be repealed.
Congress should consistently appropri-
ate more literally for the upbuilding Of
the capital.
The half-and-haf law should be main
tanned. and supplementary legislation
disposing Of SURPRISES or deficits arising
under its operation should be enacted,
so that these SURPRISES and deficits may
offset one another in a series of years.
If at any time in the future con-
dition shall develop when a doubling of
the District revenues as at present cal
culated shall produce larger amount
than can be wisely and economically e1-
pended upon the capital, such surplus
can be easily and adyantageous1y pre-
vented by emitting from consideration
as District revenue for doubling pur-
poses under the law the District reve-
liquor licenses.
Since the tax burden imposed upon
the Washingtonian by the present sys-
tenn is reasonable, neither too light nor
much too heavy, and since the fund de-
rived from this reasonable taxation,
when doubled, does not now exceed the
amount required for capital mainte-
nance and development, no change or
disturbance Of the existing financial re-
lation should at this time be considered.
Gen. Obregon frankly disagrees with
the military experts here who believe