Evening star., 1916-06-22

plus in any year of unexpended Dis
trict tar money will thus be reduced
though large. which under the pro-
posed legislation will go into the Dis
trict's trust fund will clearly be needed
in the future as reserve fund t1) TO
pay District Indebtedness. fictitious or
genuine, including the alleged ancient
resurrected debts, based on the blum
i, ders or negleets of government Off
cials in the seventies of the last CEN
tury. which have been conjured up in
the House; CD to be accumulated and
later wisely utilized to meet the pos
sibie emergency of District shortage
in some year in necessary tax revenue
under the organic act, and go to meet
the Districts share Of the cost Of great
permanent public improvements which
will call for the immediate expendi-
ture of more money than can be spared
from current revenues.
If just and reasonable use for any
such surpluses cannot be found they
can be prevented by a rewording of the
half-and-half law which shall exclude
from the revenue upon which the half
and-half plan shall operate all licenses,
including liquor licenses, or even, If
necessary, all other items of revenue
than the property taxes, and which
shall, in effect, place the self-imposed
minimum annual capital expenditure
from the national taxes equal to the
amount which it exacts in property
taxes from the local community.
Washington suggests as Senate
amendment to the pending District ap-
propriations bill. on pages l and after
the enacting clause. to strike out the
words down to the heading General
Expenses and insert: That, hereafter
the Secretary Of the Treasury Is au-
thorized and directed to advance, on the
requisition OF the Commissioners OF
81 DP oil in he
manner now prescribed by law, out OF
any moneys in the Treasury of the
United States not otherwise apprOprta-
ated, such sums as may be neces-
sary from time to time TO meet the gen
eral expenses Of said District, as au-
thOrized by Congress- and to reimburse
the Treasury for the portion of said
advance payable by the District of CO.
lumbia out Of the taxes and revenues
collected for the support of the gov
ernment thereof. If in my year the
taxes and revenues of the District OF
Columbia shall be insufficient to re-
imburse the Treasury for the portion
of said advances payable by the Dis
trict of Columbia, such unpaid advance
shall be reimbursed to said Treasury
out Of the revenues Of the District OF
Columbia of the succeeding year OF
years. together with interest thereon
until 40 reimbursed. If in any year the
taxes and revenues of the District OF
to reimburse the Treasury for the pOr-
ton of said advances payable by the
District Of Columbia, such surplus OF
revenue shall be held In the Treasury
as trust fund for the benefit of said
District, and be available as revenue
Of the District of Columbia for meeting
the portion of appropriations payable
by said District in the succeeding year
or years.
That hereafter the estimates of the
Com missiOners of the District of CO.
lumbia for any fiscal year shall state
the reasonable and necessary expenses
of the government of the District OF
Columbia for said year. and shall bear
no arbitrary relation to the total exti-
mated revenues of the District of CO.
lumbfa for such fiscal year.
That all laws In conflict herewith are
hereby repealed.
That one-half Of the following sums
respectively. is appropriated out of all
money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, and the other half out OF
the revenues of the District of COium-
bia in full for the following expense.
OF the government of the District OF
Columbia for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1917. namely:
tSee section I. public act No. 303. sec
ond session Sixteth Congress approved
March 3, 1909, which is repealed by this
amendment.]