The Washington herald., 1920-03-27
HOUSE TASKED
TO DOUBLE TAX
ON D.C.'S WATER
Focht Suggests Plan to Add
100000 Yearly to Dis
trict Revenues.
BUDGET IS DISCUSSED
Will Make Teachers Here
Satisfied for First Time,
Says Davis.

Doubling Of water rates for the
District as a means of raising rev.
enue was urged on Congress yester-
day by Representative Benjamin X.
Focht. of Pennsylvania, member of
the House District of Columbia
Committee. during the general de-
bate on the District appropriation
bill.
Focht declared that in his home
town of LewHburg, Pa. he pays
$50 year for the same amount of
water he gets in the District for
IS and $40. He moved that a 100
per cent increase. in place of the
subcommittee's 25 per cent raise,
be inserted in the bill, but was told
that as the bill was still in the
Committee of the Whole, it was
subject to a point of order.
Would Add $4,000 Yearly.
Focht announced his intention of
offering an amendment to this ef-
feet when the bill comes out OF the
committee and on the floor for dis
cussion. Chairman Davis said such
move would add 100000 yearly
to District revenues.
Representative Charles r. Davis,
chairman of the subcommittee of
the Appropriations Committee.
which drafted the District bill,
opened the debate.
The appropriation last year." he
said, was s2,103.962.12 less than the
bill which we are now considering.
1t simply shows this: That the
city of washington~is not only in
creasing in size and in population.
but in every way. Your committee
found this amount the least We, can
very well recommend.
xs46,sOe More For Teachers.
Some Of the raises in this bill
are for the public schools. In
creases in teachers salaries amount
to ss46,SO0. For the first time.
have discovered, the school teach
ers of the District are reasonably
well satisfied with the performance
of this committee.
1T is up to you gentlemen wheth-
er this satisfactory condition will
be kept up. The lowest paid school
teacher in this bill will receive
basic salary of $1,000 and mini
mum of $3.50.
You have a very competent and
efficient police force which has
been raised from 800 to nearly 900
members. 1 am stating these facts
to show why this bill is as large as
it is.
IF this bill passes as it is Wash
ington will have no cause to COM
plain of the salaries paid police.
firemen and school teachers and
will be able to attract high class
men and women for these positions.
For the last three or four years
we have had many requests to
build more school houses. The war
interfered with building operations
and now we find the original ap-
preparations insufficient, and the
program badly behind.
Increased Taxes Urged.
"A great many business men
came before the committee and
when confronted with the needs of
the District and insufficient revenue
agreed that increased taxes is the
only way to get it. These men rep
resent vast means and large bus
inesses and will have to stand the
brunt of increased taxation"
How much increase in revenue
do you figure the proposed increase
will bring" Representative Addi-
son T. Smith. of Idaho. asked.
Something like s5.400,000." Da-
Wis replied.
Representative J. Charles Linthi-
cum. of Baltimore, asked Davis IL
the committee had made any pro-
vision for repairs to the Baltimore
and Marlboro boulevards. These
roads are in a deplorable condi-
tion." he said. land are among the
most urgent needs of the District"
where are we going to get the
money!" was Davis reply.
I'm my city 1 would mighty soon
tell you" said Linthicum. I'VE
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.