Evening star., 1920-05-29
HALF-AND-HALF IS
| RESTORED IN BILL
PASSING SENATE
Jones Substitute for Mapes
Measure Now Goes to
ConfereeS.

The Jones substitute for the so
called Mapes bill. relating to the
method Of appropriatinE for the Dis
trict OF Columbia. was passed by the
Senate late yesterday afternoon with
! out opposition.
The measure now goes to conference
between the two houses. and 1t Is ex-
pected that the controversy between
the Senate and the House over the
half-and-half plan Of meeting the ex-
! penses Of the National Capital will be
threshed out.
For the first time the issue has been
| Joined In legislative measure. Here
houses has been over a rider on an
| appropriation bill. The contention of
| the Senate has been that such impor-
tant legislation should not be at
tempted in an appropriation bill.
Provisions Of Bills.
The Mapes bill proposed to abolish
the ha1f-and- plan of appropriat-
| substitute restores the half-and-ha
plan and modifies the existing law
with regard to the estimates that
may be submitted by the District
commissioners to Congress. The
Jones substitute also makes provision
Tor use OF the surplus Of District
revenues which has accrued in recent
years. and for the use of any surplus
THAT may accrue in the future
senator Jones of Washington.
author aS the substitute. desired to
present two amendments to the bill
committee. when it came up in the
Senate yesterday, but decided to let
the bill go to conference and take
up the matters involved in his
emendments at that time.
The bill will go to conference"
Senator .J0naA
conference can take care Of the prop
osition which 10 involved in the
amendment want to offer. What I
intended to propose was to strike out
the words and intangible SO as to
allow the present rate on intangible
property to stand and not attempt to
deal with that. Then I intended to
propose tho following proviso:
Provided. That the basic tax rate
Of ~ per cent now on realty and
tangible property shall not be de-
at might be Increased. but I pro-
pose that 1t should not be decreased.
] think both these propositions can
bo cared for in conference under the
amendment that has Just been agreed
70. 30 I viii not ask for reconsidera,
tion OF the vote by which the bill
was passed"
Tho provision in the Jones substi-
tuto which would appear to give the
Commissioners authority to change
tho tax rate on Intangible personal
property was an oversight, 1t was ex-
piainod. There is no desire on the
part Of the proponents OF the measure
or any one else to change the existing
rate, It Is said.
Gratifying, Says Mr. MacfarIand.
Henry b. F. Macfarland, chairman
Of tho joint citizens committee on
tho fiscal relation between the United
states and the District Of Columbia.
said:
'The senate's action in adopting the
report Of the committee on the Dis
triot Of Columbia. substituting the
Is highly gratifying. 1t is to be
hoped that this action will break the
deadlock in the conference committee
on the District appropriation bill,
since II IL evident that this question
should be settled on the Mapes bill
and not a. a rider on the appropria-
ton bill. It should be dropped from
the appropriation bill and the. present
half-and half rule substituted. Then
the question Of whether there should
be any change should be settled In
the conference committee over the
Mapcs bill and the Senate substitute
passed yesterday.
THAT substitute. with the two al.
terations which Senator Jones stated
on the floor he would bring up in
the conference committee. continuing
the present intangible tax rate ana
preventing a decrease in the present
general property tax rate, is what we
nave recommended and ought to be
adonted. We must do all we can to
SUPPORT the action Of the Senate"