Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-16

that they WOUlQ De rulIeQ IL tuCSc
works continued. A committee OF the
Senate investigated and reported that
the works should go on. Two years
later the citizens implored Congress
saying that they would be financially
s.ruined if this system continued. Then
Congress appointed a Joint commits
<sion on which Senators Allison and
Thurman were the leaders. After
taking testimony for weeks. this COM
mittee finally made report advo-
system then in force and recommend
ed the appointment of two commits
sioners as receivers for the District.
That committee in it's report said
mine definite proportion to be paid
by the people and by the federal gov
eminent 1t recommended that joint
committee should investigate and
make report on what was a JUST
proportion. Senator Morrill OF Maine
was chairman of that committee.
which proposed to organize a new
government. After much debate this
proposed legislation died out and
meanwhile the commissioners contln-
ued their receivership.
Half-and-Half Proposed.
About the same time the House
passed a resolution order ing the Judi-
ciary committee to make an invesu-
cation. Representative Poland was
chairman of the committee whlcn sara
that some fixed proportion was neces-
Sary. and that committee decided the
proportion should be half and half.
Again in 1876 another joint commit
tee was appointed to determine the
proportion to be paid by the citizens
any by the national government. MI
Worthington recalled. That commit
tee reported that the governments
contributions should be not less than
40 per cent. when the matter came
I'D finally in 1878 it was shown that
No for 30 per
cent. another for 60 per cent and an
other for 40 per cent. and that. so that
they might compromise on unanl-
NOUS report, the wording not less
than 40 per cent was used. The state
ment was made on the floor OF the
House. Mr. Worthington said. that the
ma jority was in favor of 80 per cent
There finally emanated from TINS
House District committee, he said
when Representative Blackburn was
chairman. report which resulted IN
the act of 1878. which the people OF
Washington call the organic act, or
force. The House District committee
then said that the federal govern
ment ought to pay one-half the ex.
penses of the National Capital and
the people the other half
Three Periods of $3.50 Before 1878.
$50 Won see there were three dis
finct periods prior to 1873 when the
exact plan was in force which rs pro-
posed in this BILL" said Mr.. WORTH
The first period. which ran for
seventy years, resulted in this city be,
ing a national disgrace. ana ne cited
extracts from the Congressional
Record to prove this: .. ,e,, .o
THE second period was from 10 70
1874. when we were given a form OF
government without reality, ana tnls
resulted in the imposition Of debt OF
twenty odd million dollars besides ioad.
ing down the property IN the Dis'I
property had to be sold for taxes
.The third period was from 1874 TO
1878. while the committees were investi-
eating. During this time two joint
committees of Congress, the JUDICIARY
and two reports from the House District
committee, said that conditions were
such that it was absolutely necessary
TO fix a proportion on what the FEDERAL
Treasury should pay, and what the peo-
ple of the District should pay"
Mr. Worthington quoted expressions
in Congress at that time He empha-
sized that the District was governed
under the indefinite proportion plan Tor
seventy-six years, and that the unani-
NOUS opinion of Congress was that 1t
has been failure
while YOU gentlemen have been con-
sidering this matter and have shown
that you have In measure made up
your minds to abolish the half-and-half
system. I ask whether you have read
the records showing why this system
was adopted"
Ratio Not Fixed Because of Debt.
In reply to a question from Chair
man Mapes quoting the report OF the
Joint fiscal committee in 1915, which
said that the half-and-half principle
was adopted in order to pay OF the big
debt contracted by the District. Mr..
Worthington said that there never was
a greater mistake made than that the
a big public debt He quoted from
Representative Blackburn before the
Joint fiscal committee in 1915, review
ing what he had said in 1878. when he
was chairman Of the House District
committee. In 1915, he said. Mr.. Black
burn was called as a witness against the
half-and-hah plan. and his testimony
at that time was that the half -and-half
contribution was fair and that the gov
eminent ought to pay at least so per
cent.
'The necessity Of having some basis
of expenditure fixed between the fed
eral government and the citizen tax
payers was emphasized by Mr.. Black
burn in order that the citizens might
not be "a victim Of the whims and
caprices of Congress"
He then pointed out that values in
the District were unsettled because 1t
was impossible to tell what Congress
might appropriate and what the taxes
might be.
The people of the District have a
right to demand that you will fix the
proportion permanently and finally
so that permanent values may be
established IN the District" Mr..
Blackburn was quoted as saying:
That was the reason given by the
chairman of this committee to the
House of Representatives and why
this House District committee wanted
the half-and-half act passed." said
Mr.. Worthington.
Member of commission Quoted.
Again he quoted Representative
Wilson of Indiana, better known as
Judge Wilson. who died in the District
in 1901. who was a member of the
joint commission in 1874 which re-
ported the bill that wiped out the
government of the District and of the
committee which later passed the bill
authorizing a committee to decide
upon the fixed proportion to be paid
by the government Representative
Wilson said: For the protection Of
Congress from improper charges on
account of the District it is abso-
1utely necessary that some proper
tionate share by Congress should be
fixed" On the same day. Mr.. Worth
fngton pointed out. Mr.. Garfield said:
1T is imperatively necessary that we
Should know exactly what part of
the expenses of the District the fed
eral government should bear.
This ffty-fifty arrangement" said
Mr.. Worthington, went on until May
o., 1S96--a period of eighteen years
and then again by this House District
committee. of which Representative
Babeock of Wisconsin was chairman.
n unanimous report was submitted to
the House on the bill to repeal the