Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-04
The Excess D. G. Revenue Delusion,


70 fully taxed and is paying at least its
equitable share of the cost of capital
upbuilding, nevertheless insist that the
half-and-half law should be repealed in
the manner proposed by the House Dis
trict of Columbia appropriation bill; and
that every cent of tax money which Con-
gress in its discretion chooses to exact
from this District shall first be applied
in payment Of the District appropria-
tions, Of which Congress alone fixes the
amount, and that the nation shall meet
only the deficit, if Congress shall per-
NIT any to be created, as result of its
exclusive legislation.
These men contend that doubling of
the local tax-revenue under the half
and-half arrangement has come to pro-
duce an amount much in excess Of the
sum which can be wisely and eeonom-
ically expended in capital maintenance
and upbuilding, and that this excess
of available revenue should be prevent
ed by reducing or eliminating the ma
tional contribution.
Washington's reply to this contention
{ ID as follows:
The amount raised annually under the
half-and-hal arrangement in the past
hss seldom, if ever, been more than
enough and has often been insufficient
to meet the capitals needs in current
maintenance ard in judicious upbuild
ing through great permanent public i'm
provements. Much more than this amount
could be wisely and economically ex-
pended today upon the capital in ac-
cordance with the standard set by other
great American cities.
The apparent SURPRISES of District tax
money in recent successive years over
ope-half of the District appropriations
are artificial, not genuine.
The District taxes have, by congress
sional pressure on the assessor and in
other ways, been unduly augmented; the
appropriations, on the other hand, have
been cut much below the point of meet
ing the Districts necessities.
The COMMISSIONER estimates since
1909 no longer represent the real needs
Of the District. The restrictive law of
1909 prevents them from picturing the
municipal necessities of Washington.
When the House applies its habit Of
cutting down the estimates by millions
to the Districts estimates, prepared in
accordance with the law of 1909, there
results automatically and inevitably q
surplus of une1pended local revenues,
which, however, means nothing except
that Congress has SO neglected to legis-
late and appropriate for the capital as
to leave its municipal necessities unsat-
listed and to do the nations city fragrant
injustice.
The law of 1909, restricting the Com.
missioners' estimates, should be repealed.
Congress should consistently appropri-
ate more literally for the upbuilding Of
>the capital. e,
The half-ard- half law should be main
tanned, and supplementary legislation
disposing Of SURPRISES or deficits arising
under its operation should be enacted,
20 that these SURPRISES and deficits may
Offset one another in series Of years.
If at any time in the future a con-
dition shall develop when a doubling of
the District revenues as at present cal
culated shall produce a larger amount
than can be wisely and economically ex-
pended upon the capital, such surplus
can be easily and advantageously pre-
vented by emitting from consideration
~ District revenue for doubling pur-
poses under the law all District reve-
nues except those derived from prop
erty taxes.
Since the tax burden imposed upon
the Washingtonian by the present sys-
tenn is reasonable, neither too light nor
much too heavy, and since the fund de-
rived from this reasonable taxation,
when doubled, does not now exceed the
amount required for capital maintc-
nance and development, no change or
disturbance of the existing financial re-
lation should at this time be considered.
There are some expectations that