Evening star., 1920-01-29
LET NATION DOTS
PART IN D. c. WORK,
SAYS MR.. WILLIAMS
"0ur City," Declares Illinois
Representative, in $3.50
Talk to Citizens.


ment had a national obligation in the
development and maintenance of the
capital of the nation. Representative
T. $. Williams of Illinois. speaking
before the Rhode Island Avenue Su-
bUrban Citizens Association last
night. outlined the basis for the half
and-half system of financing the Dis
triCt.
The burden of taxation which
would fall upon the shoulders of the
local residents were they compelled
10 contribute without aid to the up
keep and maintenance of the city
would be so heavy that development
might be checked and the city placed
as IL was some years before the sys-
tenn went into effect with the or
brought to the verge of bankruptcy
said Representative Williams,
Every representative in Congress
is as much representative of the
citizens of the District as he is a
representative ot his constituents
This is his city. 1t is the capital Of
the nation. toward which the nation
looks with eyes of pride
The fact that the Constitution
vests IN Congress the exclusive legis-
lative control of the city makes the
development and Identification of
Washington a national proposition.
was never intended when the
fathers of the country laid out the
elaborate plan for the capital that the
residents were to bear the entire
burden of its upkeep.
Huge T:sk Was Presented
Never before was capital of a
hatlon laid out as was this. 1t was
oeautlhcation was a huge task
w hen 1t was decided that the ex-
elusive legislative control of the Dis
trlct should be vested in Congress an
automatic obligation was entailed for
.he neneht of the city. whose resi-
dents were virtually disfranchised.
The capital belongs to all the peo-
pie This is my city. The people in
the states. who have votes while you
have not. might say even more truly
than You yourselves that this is their
city.
This is the view taken by the sup
porters of the half-and-half system
They believe that the burden of the
upkeep of the city would be too heavy
for local citizens to bear.
The Mapes bill repeating the sys-
tenn has just passed the House. Seven
times the House of Representatives
has passed such Legislation. Six times
the Senate has refused to concur. 1t
is to be hoped that similar action be
taken by the Senate at this juncture.
There is another thing to consider.
Various Congresses have appointed
committees and joint committees to
Investigate the relative status of the
Capital city and the national govern
ment. And every committee that has
ever given it's services in such an in
that the national government was
rigidly bound to make a liberal con-
tribution toward the development and
upkeep of the Capital city.
1T is evident that no people. with
thoughts of engaging in business or
4,,1I 1nfI nttx
on such a magnificent scale as Wash
ington.
Action Taken in 1873.
Until 1878 no definite or fixed ar
rangement was made for national
toward the upkeep of the
National Capital In 1878 the so-called
half-and- system was put into
effect. 1t was debated four years be-
fore il was written into the law. And
when the final action was taken there
was no roll call. The sentiment in
Congress was such that decision vir-
tually had been already made. AT
that time there We're some congress-
men who felt that the District should
receive even more than so per cent
from the government.
This was not much of a capital in
1878. We were not proud of it then.
But since that time it has made such
progress in beauty that world tour
the most beautiful national capital in
the entire world
This is accounted for by the fixed
arrangement of contribution.
when the city grows. s it will. to
a population of a million the prevail
ing ratio may be changed. But it
would be unwise and unjust to citi-
zens to strike out the plan and leave
the arrangement unfiXed. as in pre-
vious times"
A rising vote of thanks was given
the speaker by the association.
Routine Business.
\ petition signed by twenty-five
residents of the Brentwood road sec
ton was Endorsed by the association
appealing for the paving of that road
betW cen North Dakota avenue and
29th street
resolution favoring congress
sional action for merging of all trac
tion companies in Washington. to
be operated on service-at-coSt basis.
was adopted.
Reporting on the work of special
committee on the revision of the
constitution. f. J. Ryan. chairman
of the committee. announced that in
the new constitutional draft the word
suburban" was stricken from the
title of the association.
I'VE are no longer suburb. he
declared. We are just as near the
center of the city as those who live
at 18th or Goth or 22d streets no=t:'-
west. We are just as interested in
it's development. The committee will
propose that the title containing the
suburban reference be revised"
Guy Collins. chairman of the en-
tertainment committee. announced
that plans were being formulated
for special association entertain