Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08
FIGHT RENEWED
UPON DISTRICTS
FISCAL SYSTEM
Continued from First PAGE,

CONTINUED from First Page.)
report of the joint committee, will be
attained only by the substitution of
system which shall in the final, i'm
pressfve words Of the joint commit
tee cause Congress to pursue "a def
mite policy of regular and liberal ap-
preparations" for the advancement
Of the city. and which shall cause the
taxation Of the local community. its
contribution to capital upbuilding. to
be liked and certain" Any proposed
legislation. in substitution for the or
ganic act. which in final result leaves
the annual national expenditure for
capital upbuilding indefinite, irreg-
ular, and illiberal and leaves the local
contribution through taxation fluctu-
at1ng and uncertain, will not be in
accord with the principles of legisla-
ton laid down by the joint commit
tee and will not be in harmony with
the principles of equity.
Indefinite contribution plans of the
only type ever proposed in substitu
ton for the half-and-half system are
hostile in four vital points to the
principles laid down by the joint COM
mittee: First. they all contemplate
increased taxation in some shape for
the District, which. the committee
says. will be ineQuitable, since the
present tax burden is declared to be
already abundantly heavy.
Propose Decrease of Support.
Second. they all propose a decrease
or elimination of national support of
mittee declares that to impose the
whole burden upon the District
would be most ineauitable and un-
just" and urges increased national
appropriations. which will not only
CO ni the city of WASHINGTON and
spect as the splendid and beautiful
central residence of this great nation,
but also cause it to become and be
forever maintained as model for all
the cities of the world
Third. they all fail to propose any
legislation which will make fixed
and certain" the taxation of the Dis
trict resident. They all leave this
burden of taxation to shift from year
to year in accordance with the judg:-
tuteS reasonable taxation" the oDin-
ion of many members Of the last
House being that no local tax was
reasonable and fair which left any
of the expenses of the nations city
to be borne by the nation.
Fourth, they all fail conspicuously
and hopelessly to propose legislation
which in making national provision
for the capital shall cause Congress
to pursue definite policy of regular
and liberal appropriations, having in
view not only the permanent moral
and physical advancement of the city:
but also it's pre-eminent beauty and
grandeur as the municipal expression
of the nations home and it's peoples
pride" They all leave the national
contribution to the capitals upbuild-
ing divorced, from any definite policy,
to shift from session to session in &C
l.. r.s1@
of successive Congresses, fuctuating
and uncertain instead of regular:
often misery instead of liberal and
rejecting the peoples pride"
Effect of Report.
Since the principles laid down by
the Joint congressional committees
report are hostile to all of the prac-
tical and proposed methods of re-
pealing the half-and-half law, this
report, instead of recommending this
repeal, in effect prohibits it. The con-
trolling equities recognized by the
joint committee are better met by the
half-and-half law than by any of the
proposed substitutes.
that the half-and-half law is no
longer necessary as a self-imposed
obligation to keep Congress up to the
mark Of a differentiation does not
overrule the other findings of the re-
port, and does not justify repeal Of
the law, even if that opinion be we'll
founded. And the committees opinion
on the subject may be erroneous.
Certainly the half-and-half law
was needed in the last Congress to
prevent double taxation of the Dis
trict to ward off bankruptcy. Is it not
still needed? If there is doubt on the
subject should not that doubt be re-
solved in favor of the District, since
the half-and-half law is fair and by
continued existence Injuries no one?