Evening star., 1916-07-28

from the District?
| 'I agree with the senator from Cali
fornia that the slums should be done
away with and that many other Inn
provements costing large sums should
be made here. But we have another
body in Congress to deal with We
have added 100000 to this bill, and
what does the senator think the House
Would Work Out Another Plan.
IT will say to the senator that the
Senate appropriations committee has
thought 1t best to continue the half
have the District committees of Con-
gress work out comprehensive plan
for future appropriations. The com
mittee did not have time to go into It,
There are some Ill statutes which
must be amended or repealed If the
lhalf-and-half plan is done away with.
We thought it unwise to make radi-
House voted to do away with the half
and half plan by only a small majority
whom 1t voted q few weeks ago"
Senator Vardaman of Mississippi
wanted to know II the assessments here
are higher or lower than in other cities
Senator Works replied that the joint
select committee had gone into that
matter very carefully and had found
thdt aSSeSSme IN w dSNlHS ION "cT Q
at least as high as they were in cities
of similar size.
Senator smoot of Utah made the case
for the District still stronger, saying
that property is valued here for as
sessment purposes at two or two and
half times as much as in other cities
of a similar population. He showed
that the valuations for assessment pur-
poses in Detroit, Baltimore and Buffalo
were all much below those in Wash
ington, though those cities are consid-
erably larger than Washington.
THE people of the District are as
sessed higher than are the people OF
any other city of a similar size." said
Senator Smoot.
Believes District Is Overtaxed.
In response to questions. Senator
Works said. he believed the people OF
the District to be overtaxed. compared
with other cities.
He spoke of the George report:
"a committee was appointed two or
three years ago." he said, known as
what is known as the George report
That committee found instances OF un-
derassessment. AS result there was
q reaction and a swing the other way.
The assessors Office went to the other
extreme and now property is largely
overassessed and overvalued.
'Valuations here are away out of
sight. They are beyond anything they
should be-
Can Be Taken Advantage OF.
Tho disposition of tho House." in
terrupted Senator Dillingham; Of YER
mont. "is to get out OF the District Of
Columbia all it can and then pare down
the United States contribution as low
as it can. The members of the House
have no fear of how the District man
is going to vote. The man here can
not vote and he can be taken advan-
tage of. while the man in the states
with vote cannot be taken advan-
tage Of"
Senator Works replied:
THE House bill Is indefensible."
Senator Works then replied to the
argument that to do away with the
half -and-half would necessitate the
amendment or repeal of many other
statutes.
ut is not so," said Senator Works.
For instance, it is said that a bill has
passed to erect a bridge here across the
Potomac river. to be paid for one-half
by the District and one-half by the
federal government. II my amendment
were adopted the government would
ing 1t over as one of the obligations OF
the District along with all the rest"
Senator Works read from letters
written to the joint select committee
by w. f. Shannon and George E. ham
ilton approving the continuance Of the
half -and-half plan.
Urges Adoption Of Committee Report
Senators Gallinger and Smoot both ex-
pressed the hope that the Works amend
ment would not be adopted
Senator Chiffon of West Virginia, who
is chairman of the joint select committee
which investigated the fiscal relations
between the District Of Columbia and the
United States then took the floor.
He dissected the report of the joint
committee, and said that 1t was argued
last year, as now, that 1t was no time
to decide this question during the con-
sideration of an appropriation bill. He
pointed out that the joint select COM
mittee had been appointed to make the
investigation so that Congress might
act at this session, and he urged that
action be taken in accordance with the
report of the committee.
No Amendments Rejected.
Showing great confidence in the Sen
ate appropriations committee. the Sen
ate yesterday afternoon agreed to
nearly every one of the 800 amend
ments made in the bill by that commit
tee. None of the amendments was re-
jected, and the only ones allowed to go
over for action today were the amend
ment striking out the House rider
doing away with the half-andh half
plan; the amendment proposing a BIZ
ennial instead of a triennial assess
ment of real estate; the amendment
providing for beginning work on the
proposed new municipal hospital and
directing that 1t be located on the
site at 14th and Upshur streets north
west. and the amendment proposing
the purchase of the Dean tract. at Con-
necticut avenue and Florida avenue
northwest, for park purposes.
All of the other committee amend
ments. as reported to the Senate, in
creasing a large number of salaries,
providing many new school facilities
and improvements of streets, were
agreed to without debate. The bill was
then laid aside with the understanding
that amendments other than commit
tee amendments would be taken up
today when the contested amendments
passed over yesterday have been dis
posed of.
Senator Smiths Statement.
In opening the discussion Of the Dis
trict bill yesterday, Senator Smith of
Maryland, who is In charge of the
measure, said:
las to the bill. wish to say that
your committee have used every means
available to them to get all the in