Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-13
Mr.. MacfarIand's Views OF
U. S. Aid in Maintaining
National Capital.
DEFENDS HALF-AND.HALF

The need of having the federal gov
eminent pay a fixed proportion of the
expenses of the District of Columbia.
as is done under the half-and-half
plan. was pointed out by Henry B. F.
Macfarland in statement issued last
night in reply to Representative
Davis of Minnesota. who has said
that the capital would be better off
without the present plan OF making
appropriations.
, Mr.. Davis contended that Congress
would treat Washington generously
,and that its needs would be better
cared for if the half-and-half plan
iwere abolished. He suggested that
Congress might appropriate $1,000
,0O9 for the District next year If the
present method should be abandoned.
! Mr.. Macfarland's Statement.
Mr.. mcfarland said:
IF Mr. Davis were Congress. doubt
less s17.o00.000 would be appropriated.
Even that amount, however. would
not be twice the District revenues.
which for the next year will be over
nine and half million. which ought
10 be doubled with an equal amount
from the United States Treasury to
meet the actual needs for maintenance
and extraordinary improvements. But.
unfortunately, Mr.. Davis is not the
entire Congress, and even il he were
he could not guarantee adequate ap-
propriations for all the years to come.
The statesmen who took part in
the preparation of the organic act of
1878, men like Allison, Thurman, Bay
ard, Garfield. Window, Hunton, Poland
and Blackburn, saw clearly and en-
phasized strongly the absolute neces-
sity for what Senator Allison called
some fixed, .unvarying rule for the
ascertainment of what the govern
ment should contribute toward the
expenses of this District Otherwise.
as Representative Blackburn said. the
United States contribution would be
left to the whim and caprice of each
recurring session of Congress"
Uncertainty of Taxation Cited.
Taxation. they said. would be alb
0olutely uncertain unless a definite
proportion of contribution was fixed
and permanent One year Congress
might contribute so per cent. the next
year 30 per cent. the next year is
per cent. depending, perhaps. upon
the state of the Treasury. or of party
politics.
That the appropriations should be
definite and regular as the joint Sc
1ect committee of Congress. 1915. rec
commended. is more important than
the particular proportions.
= Mr.. Davis own committee fur
nished Striking Illustration this SeS-
sion of what would happen under the
proposed repeal OF the half and half
plan without substituting any definite
proportion of contributions. With es-
timated District revenues of $9,547.-
sec. Mr.. Davis committee. after
against his vote) aboIishing the
Lalf-and-half plan. recommended to
the House appropriations aggregating
not $19.095.600. all of which could be
economically and probably expend-
ed. but only $14.7S2,9S1. Of which the
United States was to pay only 80 2-10
per cent instead of the SO per cent
provided by the organic act of 1878.
They were free to recommend the en-
tire amount needed. namely, $19,095,-
500. but. instead. they recommended
over 100000 less.
Plan Followed Since 1878.
"Since 1873. as the joint select COM
mittee of Congress of 1915 reported.
the half-and-half plan has been
practically followed. IL abolished.
the United States would pay less, and
probably much less. than one-half.
and either the total appropriations
would be diminished or the taxation
would be inordinately increased.
Some representatives have declared
In debate that the United States
should pay nothing. but that the Dis
trict taxpayere should bear the whole
burden. Those who desire to cut
down the government contribution do
not represent the sentiment of the
country. which wants Congress to do