Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-22
Legislation That Washington Needs.


o. the organic act. The joint com
nttcc finds this provision unneces-
sary. because. first. the population
aud taxable resources OF the District
have 50 increased that 1t can put up
IL bali without compulSion; and be
cause. second. the national holdings in
" a,hington and the national pride III
the ration's capital city have so in
creased that the nation docs not need
to promise in order to do more than
il i now doing for capital upbuiiding.
Eut the joint committee also finds
that the half-and-half provision is fair
and does not REQUIRE the doing by any
ono oi anything which ought not to
be done voluntarily. ii the legal re-
quircment OF this provision ceased to
exist Its continued existence. until
al, the equities to be affected by its
death have been saieguardcd. can con-
scquently harm no one. and the neces-
sity Tor hasty and inconsiderate re-
peal OF this lair and wise law disap-
pears.
The immediate legislation urgently
needed by Washington is disclosed in
the hearings before the joint commit
tee. % The law arbitrarily limiting
the Commissioners annual estimates
should be quickly repealed 1t is de-
sired and approved or defended by no
body. 1t prohibits the statement by the
Commis and the satisfaction
by Congress OF the actual needs OF the
District. 1t prevents the nation. in
eNrtably. from meeting fully its CAPT
tai obligation. 1t automatically in
surcs an uneXpended surplus OF Dis
trIct taX-money. 1t accomplishes. as
Congress applies it. no good purpose
whatsoever. The Commissioners es-
Inmates. in accordance with the spirit
OF the JOINT committee report. should
disclose to Congress Nashington's
genuine municipal needs. both for
current maintenance and for perma-
nent Improvements and the response
bility for appropriating all or only
part OF these estimates should (as it
does rest solely on Congress.
~ The effect OF the report OF the
JOINT committee is TO vindicate in prin-
cIplc the treatment OF the half-and-
nall provision as not necessarily ap-
plying arbitrarily and separately to
each year. considered alone. but to
the average OF ? series OF wears. The
JOINT committee points out that Dis
trict expenditures since 1873 have been
IN the aggregate. though not in every
year viewed separately. on the hall
and-haif basis. The committee ex-
presses the belief that this fact is evil
dence OF design. not an accident. and
that the nation thus not only intended
to carry out. but did carry out. its
hali-and-half promise
Under the present practice which
puts local taxation before congress
sional appropriation the half-and-
hall provision is not and cannot be
arbitrarily enforced and literally
obeyed in any one year But in the
long run. in the future as in
the past, this provision can be en-
forced and obeyed
Why not go ahead in the future
IN general conformity with this prac-
tice. thus indicated in principle by
the joint committee? The only leg
islation necessary will be provision
to put the surplus of District tax
money in any year into the Treas
ury, not as miscellaneous receipts, to
be merged with national money and
lost TO the District, but. as the Joint
committees report describes it, as "a
trust fund for the benefit OF the Dis
trist OF Columbia TO be ex-
pended in the government Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia and for no other
purpose"
Repeal OF the law limiting the Com
missioners' estimates will permit Con-
grcss to consider in appropriations
the full needs of the District, and the
surplus in any year OF unexpended
District tax money will thus be re-
duced TO minimum. But any sur
pluses. even though large. which I'M
der the proposed legislation will go
into the Districts trust fund will
clearly be needed in the future as a
reserve fund On TO pay District in
debtedncss. fictitious or genuine: in
Guiding the alleged ancient resur-
rected debts. based on the blunders
or neglects OF government officials in
the seventies OF the last century,
which have been conjured up in the
House and which stalk abroad in
their graveclothes menacing and
alarming the taxpayers of today; and
TO cancel the remainder OF the 3.65
bonds in respect to which the gov
eminent is under a contractual obi
CATION TO maintain the half-and- ha III
pledge; (2) TO be accumulated and
later wisely utilized to meet the
emergency OF District shortage in
some year in necessary tax-reyenue
under the organic act. such as occur
red IN xeya,, ~ tho eiDre yoOo