Evening star., 1916-09-08
D. c. LEGISLATION
|NPAST SESSION
HaIf-and-HaIf Principle Re-
tanned After a Hard
Fight.
FISCAL ESTIMATE CUT
DOWN TO S11,894,387
Measures to Improve Living Condi-
tions Of Wage Farmers in Wash
ington Are Still Pending.

The half-and- half principle Of appro-
priations for the District OF Columbia
has been retained in the appropriation
act covering the present fiscal year.
This is the most important fact con-
nected with the legislation and appro-
priations of the session of Congress just
closed as affecting the District OF Co.
lumbia.
For weeks while the bill was in prep
aration in the House committee. and
later when the appropriation bill pass
ed the lower body without the usual
half-and- half clause. there was immi-
nent danger that the National Capital
would be left without the support of
the federal government vouchsafed to
it in the organic act Of 1876.
However, after the half and half was
restored in the Senate the House finally
yielded, but with the restoration was
enacted provision for the taxation of
intangible personal property pro-
vision which was made into law with
out a hearing and without study.
Fight for Half-and-Half.
The first session of the Sixty fourth
Congress opened with the District
awaiting with interest the report of the
joint select committee of Congress
which had been appointed by the pre-
vious Congress to study into the finan-
cial relation between the United States
and the District of Columbia. The re-
port was made January 6. It did not
specifically recommend that the half
and-half principle be retained in ap-
- <lA
upheld the main contention of the Dis
trict of Columbia that the National
Capital is not undertaxed.
Our unanimous conclusion" says the
report 'is that the rate Of taxation in
the District should be fixed and certain;
that the Congress should pursue a def
mite policy of regular and liberal ap-
preparations, having in view not only
the permanent moral and physical ad-
vancement Of the city, but also the pre-
municipal expression Of the nations
home and it's peoples pride"
The committee recommended an in
heritance tax for the District of CO.
lumbia also, but no legislation carrying
out the recommendations of the. COM
mittee has been introduced into Con-
gress. Senator Works. a member of
the committee, submitted a minority
report and introduced bill in the
Senate carrying out his idea that the
District of Columbia should be changed
from a municipality to bureau of the
federal government and operated as
such.
Commissioners Estimate Cut.
The Commissioners estimates asked for
SIS. 1882, 1856, and recommended numerous
new items of legislation. much Of which
was in pursuance of proposed policy
to centralIze many municipal functions in
the hands of the board of Commissioners.
The appropriation bill. as reported, carried
but $11,S94, 737 and none of the legisla-
ton. When it passed the Senate it car
ried S13,634, ,502.96.
BY an amendment to the appropria ton
bill the Senate fixed the price of gas at
rs cents for Washington and IS cents
for Georgetown. and carried provision for
a f1remen and police pension fund.
The Senate took an active part in Dis
trict legislation of much, importance dur
ing the session just closed.
Work of Senate Committee.
The Senate District committee worked
long and hard over a number of bills of
the very greatest importance to the Dis
trict. and number of these measures are
on the Senate calendar and ready to be
taken up for consideration when Congress
meets next December. One of these bills
is the Sheppard bill. providing for pro-
hibition in the District of Columbia, which
was reported to the Senate from the COM
mittee without recommendation" early
in the session. and failed to come up for
action because of the press of general
legislation. Other bills reported to the
Senate, and now on the calendar. include
the Works bill for the closing of barber
shops in the District Sunday; the Smith
bill to regulate the practice of podiatry in
the District: the House bill to prevent the
desecration of mutilation of the flag of the
United States; the House bill amending
the law relating to the establishment OF
the Juvenile Court of the District; the
Poindexter bill providing for the election
of a delegate to the House to represent
the District. and the Hollis bill to provide
for the use of public school buildings as
community forums.
The Senate District committee held a
number of hearings on various bills, in
cluding bill for the sanitary wrap
ping of bread, a bill to amend the loan
shark law by permitting the money
lenders to charge 2 per cent a month
instead of per cent, a bill to take over
the Klingle Ford Valley tract for park
purposes. bill to provide for the pay
ment of assessments of benefits for the
opening of streets in the District when
The Senate District committee held
hearings on the nomination of Gen.
Robert G. Smith to succeed himself as a
Of the excise board of the Dis
trict and reported unfavorably on the
to the Senate, which reject
ed the nomination. The nomination of
Henry S. Baker as member of the ex-
else board was still pending before the
when Congress adjourned
D. c. Bills Pending.
Among the District bills Of interest
still before the Senate committee and
unacted upon are the following:
A bill to provide for the construction
Of sanitary dwelling houses for the
Door, by Senator Works.
A bill for the development of the
water power at Great Falls to supply
with light and power, by
Senator Norris. 4
Prohibition bills. by Senator Jones |
and Senator Thompson.
A Joint resolution to amend the Con-
the United States SO as to |
hermit the residents of the District to |
vote for presidential and vice presidential |
electors and to elect senators and rep
to Congress. by Senator |
Chamberlain.
A bill to provide for the erection Of |
sanitary dwellings. by Senator Pom
% S,,, T.. .hnYt~h e.n,t.1 r,,,<.h~.