Evening star., 1916-01-06
u S. SHOULD BEAR BURDEN OF
h MAINTAINING NATIONAL CAPITAL
Senator Works. Member Of Joint Select
/ Committee, Makes Separate Report
I on Half and Half.

SoiuLHOid was uieo Oy oohoeoA -.
Of California. one of the repuoiican
members of the Joint select coHinlt.ee
In his report he says that while he con-
ours with the committee in the ultimate
questions involved. he feels constrained
to express his own views separately, In
order to give his reasons 1or inc eon
clusions he has reached.
He does not believe the burden OF
maintaining the District should be d.
vided between the municipality ana ehe
national government, but thinks II
should be borne by the government In
consideration Of this, however, ne De-
lieves the residents and property own
ers should contribute, in taxes, iair
and reasonable amount for the proeec-
ton and benefits they receive.
He also believes the District shouIo
be given representation in congress
and the right to elect its own rep.e
sentatives and to vote Tor pIesiuen.,indi a,,id
electors He thinks single tax Wouio
be an excellent thing here. He "9ulo
abolish the municipality OF the LIS
trict of Columbia and designate the
territory as the city ,aa OF masn,ms anS .ui. sd.
and have it's affairs controlled ana ao
ministered directly by the national
government.
Discusses Needed Improvements.
Senator Works also includes in. his
report a discussion of many improve
nents which should be made IN Vari-
Gus municipal institutions in the DIS
trict, and states that he has personaiiy
examined into conditions which ne
would have rectifled.
His report is. in part, as follows:
THE bill raising the commlttee pro-
vides: whose duty it shall be to pre-
pare and submit to Congress a state
ment of the proper proportions OF the
expenses of the government OF Ine
District of Columbia or any oranch
thereof, including interest on the 1und,
ed debt, which shall be borne by shld
District and the United States. respec-
lively, together with the reasons up9i,
which their conclusions may be based
Evidently the imposition OF duty
upon the committee in this form pro-
ceeds upon the theory that there are
within the territorial boundaries OF
the District of Columbia two distinct
corporate or governmental organlza-
tions, each of which is responsl Die, In
part, for the administration OF the
district and liable for portion OF its
expenses Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Congress Has Exclusive Power.
"The District is the capital of the
nation. Congress is by the Constitu
ton given complete and exclusive juris-
diction and control over it. Being ex-
elusive this power cannot lawfully be
delegated to any other municipal or
ganization or body. In fact, none of
this power or jurisdiction has been del
egated to the District of Columbia. 1t
is nominal municipal corporation
only, without officers. without author
ity and without any function whatever
to perform as such. The so-called Dis
trtct officers are appointed by and are
in fact the officers of the national gov
ernment. 1t can make no laws, but is
governed wholly by laws enacted by
Congress. Its treasury, SO called, and
mentioned so often in appropriation
bills, has no existence in fact 1t has
no money and no power to collect any.
Its nominal officers. who are in fact
officers of the government. are only in
struments of the government for the
levying and collection Of taxes from
property owners within the District.
1t cannot make appropriations or pay
any of its expenses. The money col
lected. as taxes. from property owners
is not paid into the treasury OF the
the national Treasury. 1t is not paid
out by the District. but by the treas
urer of the United States upon the
order of Congress. The title to some
in its name. But the property belongs
to the government and is held by the
District as a mere naked trustee with
out power or control over 1t.
I'm short, the nominal municipal cor
poration of the District of Columbia
is mere she'll, without any authority.
power or responsibility and without
any Of the attributes or functions Of
municipal government. 1t is worse
than that 1t Is a delusion and
snare. 1t has led the people OF the
District to believe they have a local
government that is some shield and
protection to them, as against the
power of Congress. and at the same
time has led some members OF Con-
~ ntstr rsok
TO believe that the national government
can divide the responsibility OF main
tanning. building up and beautifying
its own capital with such local gov
eminent. The situation Is wholly mis-
leading and hurtful.
Wrong Impression Exists, He Says.
This bill directing the committee to
ascertain the proper proportion OF the
expenses of the capital to be borne re-
spectively by the federal government
and the District of Columbia is found
ed upon a wrong impression of the
conditions as they exist, and is itself
misleading. The District of Columbia
never has been liable for any proper
tion of the expenses of the District and
never can be, properly. 1t has never
paid any part of the expenses. and
probably never will. Its nominal offi-
GERS, who are. in fact. the ofhcers OF the
~
private individuals within the District
and paid them into the national Treas
ury without any responsibility or la
bility of any kind on the part OF the
District as a municipal power or en-
tity. Obviously. therefore, the real and
only possible question before the com
Inittee Is not what proportion OF the
expenses of the District shall be paid
by the District Of Columbia, but what
proportion of such expenses to be paid
by the national government shall be
raised by taxation of the privately
owned property in the District.
This involves. necessarily. the ques-
tion whether tho so-called half-and-
half system now in force shall be con-
tinued In force, and II not. whether any
such proportion, as between the tax
payers and the government, shall be
fixed
In my own mind / have reached the
following conclusions, for which j shall
give my reasons and which / submit to
the consideration of Congress:
Conclusions of Senator Works.
81. The District OF Columbia should
convey TO the United States all prop
critics held in its name and the United
States should assume and pay the debts
standing against the name Of the Dis
trict.
80. The municipality of the District
of Columbia should then be abolished.
the territory of the District desf1nated