Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-20
HALF-AND-HALF|S
DEFENDED BEFORE
M|D-C|Ty CITIZENS

Declares He FaVorS D. c.
Representation.
VAN SCHAICK INDORSED>
FOR D. C. COMMISSIONER
With all of the improvements which
tend to beautify the National Capital
falling behind as a result OF the war,
Congress could pick no more unfavora-
BILE time than the present to abolish the
half-and-half plan of financing the Dis
trict, Representative Frederick n. Zihl-
man of Maryland told the Mid-Clty
Citizens Association at a meeting in
the Thomson School last night
Mr. Zihlman's address was the first
expression of opinion from the minority
group of hte House District committee
since the committee voted Thursday to
report favorably the Mapes bill TO
abolish the half-and-half.
DR.. John Van Schaick, jr.. president
of the board of education. also gave
brief talk. and after he had left the
meeting the association went on record
ton to be District Commissioner.
Representative Zihman, in summing
up his defense of the half-and half plan,
said:
Old System DissatisfnctOry.
THE system proposed by the Mapes
bill was in operation here for a period
of more than seventy years, and dur
ing that time the capital became an
eye sore to its own people and to the
residents of other cities who visited
here. and / do not believe that Con-
gress intends to restore this system and
aupplant the present one, under which
the municipality has prospered, and
which has enabled the local officials to
continue to improve and beautify the
capital of the United States"
Mi. Zihlman went on record in favor
of representation in Congress for
the people of the District.
1T has been suggested" said the
representative. that because my home
is so close to the District of Columbia
that L represent you also in Con-
gress- Well. 1 want to tell you 1 have
enough trouble looking after my own
district. l believe you should have
a representative of your own in Con-
gress and 1 trust the time is not far
distant when you will be represent
ed" Continuing. he said:
LAS a representative of one of the
districts which lies ada
cent and contiguous TO Washington, 1
have a personal interest in the Capt.
tai city-its growth. it's progress and
its prosperity; and / am in favor of
dealing with the District in not only
a just. but a liberal way. in keeping
with its position as the Capital of
the greatest nation on earth.
Suffer. Some Disadvantages.
while it is true that Washington
enjoys many advantages because of
it's being the seat of governmental
the same time, she suffers some dis
advantages because the manufactur-
ers will not locate large Industrial
plants here and compete with the
government in the way of labor. and
also because of the undesirability of
this a smoking. manufactur-
ing city. And Congress has passed
an act with the provisions which
great manufacturing industries.
: while the Mapes bill does not re-
peal existing tax rates. it is evidently
the purpose of it's authors to do so,
or otherwise there would be no in
centive in pushing this measure.
This is certainly not the time to
withdraw the financial support of the
government from the District. as you
have a greater population than ever
before, and yet there has been no in
crease in facilities. nor in the ap-
available for District
needs.
Estimates Less Than Needs.
Your Commissioners state in their
annual report that while they made
no estimates for increases in salaries,
because that matter was being con-
by the joint commission on
sA!aries-and made
material reductions in the estimates
to them; yet these reduced
estimates were found to be more than
twenty-five million (s22. 200. 000) dot
lars, which, because of the law pro-
them from submitting esti-
mates in excess of the revenues of the
District II was necessary to further
reduce them to a little more than
eighteen million (s1s.000.0 00) dollars
and that these estimates fall short OF
the actual needs of the District by
more than four million (s4,000,000) dol
lars.
"This mornings press carries a
statement by the chairman of the
school committee Of the Washington
Board of Trade to the effect that the
schools Of the District are disgrace
to the nation, and that there was a
serious shortage of teachers. many of
whom were leaving the District.
Needs Pointed Out.
The Commissioners point out the
need Of additional school facilities,
for an increased water supply, street
and highway improvement program
and for the provision of modern
bridges, where existing structures are
not fitted to carry the burden of mod
ern traffic. and for park and other
necessary improvements in the Dis
trict, for which there are no funds
available because the Commissioners
are limited in their estimates to the
actual revenues available"
Mr. Zihlman said he believed one
reason why there are occasional mis-
understandings between Congress
and the people of the District is be-
cause the only time many of the leg
islators haev an opportunity to meet
citizens of the District is when the
citizens go up to the Capitol seeking
to have a street improved. He said
he felt sure that representative
from the District in Congress could
do much to wipe out these misunder-
standings.
Mr.. Zihlman also discussed the neeo
of a traffic court in the District and
stated that he was preparing a bill to
provide for the appointment Of an ad-
ditional Police Court judge to take
care of the additional work proposed