Evening star., 1916-06-22
Entitled to Be Heard.

All Americans interested in the Ma
tionaI Capital. including those living
here. are entitled to be heard as TO
principle and details of new hscal pro-
vision for the National Capital before
1t is adopted.
The joint committee of Congress
reported no bill definite plan; nor
did it recommend the abolition or the
half and half plan. 1t said that the
plan need not be continued But IL
did not say it should" not be con-
tinued.
1t adopted a s proved true by the facts
submitted the contentious of the joint
citizens committee against the state
ments in the George report and other-
wise that Washington was insufhciently
taxed which was the only reason given
for the abolition of the half a nd -ha II
plan in the last Congress. The Joint
committee of Congress found that
Washington was adequately taxed and
therefore destroyed the only argument
for a change.
The Johnson rider of last year, based
on now discredited assertions as to
taxation is substantially the same as
the present rider. The Johnson rider
was rejected by the Senate appropria-
tions committee and in the senate oy
a vote of as to 30 and was defeated in
the House by Mr.. Underwood. then dem
ocratic leader. with his substitute pro-
viding for inquiry by the joint commit
tee of Congress.
Supports Half-and-Haf.
The Joint committee of Congress,
after exhaustive inquiry and three
weeks hearings. made a report which
| in spirit and in letter supports the
maitland half" plan until the govern
ment is ready to do more rather than
less. The committee report in terms
states that Congress should pursue
definite policy of regular and liberal
appropriations," well as that the
rate of taxation should be fixed and
| certain" 1t states that the objects
| should be not only the permanent
moral and physical development OF the
city but also its pre-eminent beauty
and grandeur a municipal expression
| of the nations home and its peoples
pride" This means. of course. per-
manent arrangement OF systematic ap-
propriations and not hit-and-miss ap-
| propriations, in which the appropria-
| lions shall be determined by the "whim
| and caprice" Of the particular session
| Of Congress.
Question of Bonded Debt.
The House committee on appropria-
| tions stated that the rider carried out
| the purpose of the joint committees
| report AS reported by the appropria-
| ton committee to the House. 1t ignored
| the recommendation OF the joint COM
| mittee of Congress that. whatever else
| should be done. the bonded debt should
| be paid on the half -and-half' plan.
| Apparently the House committee on ap-
| propriations did not read the report.
When that paragraph was read on the
! floor of the House they abandoned SO
much of their rider as related to the
| bonded debt. This shows not only how
| ha sty and i'll considered was the rider,
| but how little 1t had to do with the
| 1oint committees report. In fact. 1t
| was simply the Johnson rider over
again.
Theodore w. Noyes. chairman. adopted
unanimously by the Board of Trade,
gives in detail the differences between
the rider and the joint committees re-
port, and shows that the Joint commit
| tees report in effect requires the con-
tinuation Of the "half-and -half' plan
until the government II prepared to do
more than now.
Needs Require Larger Sums.
The needs Of the National Capital call
for much larger appropriations. as the
joint committee Of Congress report. and