Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-25
Non-conformity.

The congressional joint fiscal commit
tee said that it saw no reason or nc
cessity for half and half or any other
definite proportionate contribution. 1t
said with even greater defnitcness and
impressiveness in its concluding unani-
nous summary that the Districts tax
contribution should be fixed anG certain
and the congressional appropriations
regular. liberal and in accordance with
definite policy.
1t found that under the half-and half
law and present taxation the District
was contributing all it should and that
nc greater burden should be imposed
and it suggested that in its opinion the
nation was not under the haif-and half
law paying enough and should be more
liberal
Now the pending appropriation bill
crystallizes into law merely the com
mittees opinion of lack of reason or
necessity for fixing a new definite pro
portion of contribution, and it does
so by destroying the old definite pro
portionate contribution of half-and half
and substituting nothing in its place 1t
does not put into the law any provision
which makes fixed and certain the Dis
triet's contribution at a figure not ex
ceedIng that now exacted; o.. which es-
tablishes definite policy of regular
and liberal-or more liberal-appro.
priations by Congress.
The bill does not carry ont the find
Ings of the joint committee because !.
applies 10 the law only the destructive
recommendation of the report and ig
nores so far as enactment is concerned
those which are constructive.
What is there in the new organic act
TO make the District contribution fixed
and certain. as the joint committee re-
ported that il should be, What is there
IN the new organic act to make the con
gressional appropriation for the CAPT
tai regular. liberal and in pursuance of
a definite policy as the joint commit
tee urged,
The appropriation bill instead of leg
islating to make District taxation fixed
and certain and no greater than at pres
emit proposes three new taxes or special
assessments in connection with street
paving. the aqueduct and vaults under
sidewalks. These exactions will tend to
reduce the nations capital contribution.
already suggested by the joint commit
tee to be too little. and which The pend
ing bill proposes to make less by mil
lions than would be contributed under
the half-and half law
In the words of the Board OF Trad.
committee:
Since the principles laid down bv the
joint congressional committees report
are hostile 70 all of the practical and
proposed methods of repeating the half
and half law, this report instead of
recommending this repeal. in effect pro
hibits it. The controlling equities recog
nlZed by the Joint committee are better
met by the half and half law than by
any Of the proposed substitutes
The opinion of the joint committee
that the half and half law is no longer
necessary as 4 self imposed obligation
to keep Congress up to the mark Of a
half contribution does not of,e-rule the
other findings Of the report. and does
10: justify repeal of the law, even if
that opinion oe well founded And the
CEN ni,ttses opinion on the subject NAV
bc erroneous.
Certainty the hall and half law was
rerded N the ,ast Congress 20 prevent
n1ub." ta1ation Of the District and 10
~ard 81 bankruptcy Is i, not still
EaeIcdf ii there IS doubt on the sub.
iect should not that doubt be resolved
N favor o. the District. since the half
ahd-haI law IS fair and by continued
exsstence INJURIES no one'"