Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-15

equitably enter into a comparison OF
city tax burdens. We deny that we
have excluded from our comparisons
OF city tax burdens even the un1alr
comparison of Washington's city TAX
with the combined city, county ana
state taxes of other cities.
Many of US contend that all state
taxes should be excluded equltaoiy
from the comparisons of city tax pur-
dens. State taxes are paid that one
may enjoy with thousands OUTSIDE o.
ones home city the privilege ana
benefits of citizens of the state, IN
Guiding representation in Congress
and the electoral college and IN the
state legislature. recognized status
in the United states Supreme Court
and the financial benefits which come
from enjoyment of the land grants,
bounties. etc. which the nation mas
lavished upon the states.
WaxhIngtoninn's status Shown.
The Washingtonian has none OF
these political or judicial rights or
privileges. Why should his fair tax
burden be held to include what the
state citizen pays in connection with
the actual enjoyment of these IN
esimable rights. privileges and bene-
fitsf
When Washington is part of a
state and enjoys the expenditure
within il of its due share of the state
funds, which thousands of state citl-
zens outside of its limits contribute
it will he time to permit state taxa
ton to enter into its comparative per
capital tax figures. When Washing
ton has senators. representatives and
a state Legislature it will be time Tor
it to pay for such luXuries in the
shape of state tax.
Situation Summarized.
In conclusion Mr.. Noyes summarized
the situation as follows:
Washington bears it's full burden
of all taxes. local and national.
The half-and-half law is not a
screen behind which the half-taxed
Washingtonian hides from equitable
taxation.
'On the contrary. this law is the
observation-disclosures shield and safeguard
against inequitable and excessive
taxation
1T should be preserved in principle
in fairness to the District. 1t does not
need to be destroyed to do equity to
the nation"
Worked for Half-nnd-Hnlf.
Chairman Mapes called attention to
the testimony taken before a House
committee investigating the National
Security League, in which Henry L.
West. at one time a District Commits
sioner. testified that before he be-
came connected with the security
league he had represented a number
of men in Washington in campaign
TO prevent the abolition of the half
and half law. and that he had re-
ceived 500 a week for this work. The
testimony showed, said Mr.. Mapes
that Mr.. West had been employed for
three months and the names of some
twenty-Six firms contributing were
put into the records.
Mr.. MapeS wanted to know il there
was any such organization now OPP
Grating.
Chairman Macfarland of the Joint
cluZens' committee replied:
We only know what is in that
record regarding the organization of
which you speak. We appear here as
citizens and not as attorneys. The
joint citizens committee has collected
some 5000 in small subscriptions of 81
for the most part, which has been used
to collate, compile and print the data
which we have submitted to you. We
had nothing to do with the employ
ment of Mr.. West. His employment
was prior to March. 1915. and prior
to the organization or the joint COM
mittee, l am sure"