Evening star., 1920-06-04
D. c. BILL ENDING
HALF AND HALF
PASSES CONGRESS
House and Senate Adopt Re-
port of Conferees Agreed
to Last Night.
TAX RATE AND WATER
RENTS ARE INCREASED
6O Per Cent of Expenses to Be Paid
From District Revenues-4O
From U. S. Treasury.

From U. S. Treasury.
The House and Senate today adopt
| ed the conference report on the Dis
trict appropriation bill agreed to in
conference late last night and which
abolshes the half-and-half principle
OF financing the District and raises
the tax rate and water rents. The
conference report was accepted with
out roll calf vote in both houses and
without any opposition
| AS passed. the District appropria-
tion bill is the largest on record. car
rying S1S,373.004s7. which is nearly
$40, 600 larger than the bill as it passed
the House. The measure as it passed
both houses changes the organic act
in regard to the proportion of District
expenses that the federal government
will bear and the tax rate for one
year only.
1t provides that 60 per cent of the
appropriations shall come out of Dis
trict revenues and 40 per cent out of
the federal Treasury. The District
Commissioners are given authority to
Increase the tax rate as may be neces-
sary from u per cent. the present
rate, not to exceed 2 per cent. 1t in
creases present water rents UP to 25
per cent.
Generous i'm DispositfOn.
Chairman Davis of the House SUBJ
committee on District appropriations
called the conference report up in the
House early today. He pointed out
| that for school teachers and police
the appropriations were all that had
been asked. He said the House and
Senate committees had shown a most
generous disposition in granting ap-
propriations for the National Capital.
The Senate, he said. had agreed to
the conference report without cross
ing IT. or dotting an Il" He pointed
out that if the half-and-half prin-
ciple was in effect to meet the appro-
priations under this bill there would
District revenues would be insufficient
| to meet.
| Mr.. Davis was questioned by Rep
| resentative Woods. democrat, of vir-
ginia, regarding the intangible tax
and made sarcastic reference to
washington being a haven for tax
| dodgers
| Others who spoke were Representa-
tive Sisson. democrat, of Mississippi,
formerly chairman of the House sub
committee on District appropriations:
Representative Cramton, republican.
of Michigan. one of the conferees on
the District bill; Representative
Byrns OF Tennessee, ranking demo-
committee; Representative Buchanan,
democrat, Of Texas, one of the con-
fereeS and Representatives Oliver of
Alabama and Gard Of Ohio, both DEM
ocrats.
Swan Song Today.
Most of the speeches today were in
the nature of swan songs for the half
and-half principle and of eulogy to
Chairman Davis and to former Chair
man Johnson of the House District
committee, who has for years been
fighting to overthrow the half-and- \
half principle.
Representative Cramton said that
one of the essential needs in regard
to the fiscal affairs of the District is
the removal of any limit on estimates,
SO that the Commissioners may ask
Congress for all the money that is
needed to meet the expenses of the
upkeep of the National Capital
"A new and brighter day for the
District has dawned." Mr.. Cramton
said.
The compromise was reached after
an all-day effort by House leaders, es-
pecially Chairman Good of the ap-
preparations committee, to break the
deadlock which threatened to prevent
much-needed repairs to the District
streets and schools.
After disposing of the fifty-fifty and
tax provisions the conferees showed
generous spirit in making appro-
priations for improvements and up
keep of the National Capital The
change in the organic act on the pro-
portion of contribution from the fed
eral Treasury and from District
revenues. and the change in the tax
rate. are for one year only.
Fixed Ratio Retained.
Those who represented the Districts
interests are gratified that a fixed pro-
portion of contribution has been
maintained.
The bill as passed and other bills
making approprisssion r at noo for oao the Dis,
out of the new proportion of 60-l0
per cent
The intangible tax rate in the District
Is not disturbed
approximately $4,000, 900 surplus in the
Treasury to the credit of the District
derived from District taxation, which
has not been met dollar for dollar by
the national government.
Carries Generous Appropriation.
The bill as passed carries the most
generous appropriation ever made for
the District. 1t includes a total of
81 So, 900 for teachers salaries, and
provides for 2.20S teachers, which is an
increase of 103 teachers over the present
year. 1t adds twenty-five teachers to
the high school group. 1t carries $780, 600
for the teachers retirement fund and
o.
In the bill is 1855, 900 of increased ap-
for improvements to school
buildings for which other appropria-
tons were previously made 1t raised
the limit of cost on all of these school
projects. This includes authority for
the District Commissioners to make
contracts <or the Eastern High School
IN to S1,500, 900. The school improve
ments includes an eight-room addition
to each of the following schools: Pet
worth, Deanwood, Burryille, West and
1t authorizes the remodeling
of the Phelps School. An addition for an
eight-room building between 18th and
Goth and Monroe and Newton streets
also is provided.
Provides for Street Repairs.
Nearly a million and half Of dollars
for street repairs, improvements and ex-
tension is authorized. This includes
s6l4,2OC for street improvements <new
work. and s575. 900 for repairs on streets,
and S25O,00O for repairs on suburban
roads.
Increases in pay for police and iremen
are provided for amounting to approx
mately s690.000 more than for the
present fiscal year. 1t gives the police
and hremen the $120 bonus.
Per diem employees and day laborers
are granted legal holidays with pay, pro-
vided that they have worked for fifteen
days previous to such holidays.
The bill increased the assessment for
water mains from t1-2s .
<fsonfinued m Ens,rfh x,.~n