Evening star., 1921-12-16

friends or institutions as stipu-
lated by the sender.
these conditions in order to benefit the
capital. And the same enactment Is
and to enlarge the national obliga-
tion toward the capital, to make less
and to make more the national main
tenance, and to be at once a curse and
a blessing to the people Of the ma
tion's city. I
One says: Whereas. the nation is
under no binding financial obligation
toward the capital and already pays
far too much toward it's upbuilding,
and whereas the District ought to
meet and is able, IL fairly taxed, to
meet all the capital expenses. there
fore the half-and-half law should be
repealed, and the system of indefinite.
voluntary and fiuctuating contribu-
tions be substituted in its place, in
order that the nation may deny, IL 1t
pleases. all obligation toward the cap
ital. and that the burden OF the local
taxpayer may be heavily increased,
working a corresponding reduction of
the national contribution. possibly
even to the point Of its complete elm
nation
The other says: Whereas the nation
is under far greater capital obliga
!ticns-patriotic. sentimental, practical
and financial-than it has heretofore
recognized. and whereas our republic.
following the example of the great
nations of both the old and new
worlds in dealing with their capitals.
should pay far more than half the
cost of the development Of the ma
tion's city. therefore the half-and-
system of indefinite, voluntary and
fluctuating national contributions be
substituted in it's place, in order that
the nation may more worthi1y recog-
nize and meet it's magnified capital
obligation. and that not being limited
to a meager one-half Of the capital
expenditures. it may lavish unstint-
edly in capital upbuilding sum far
in excess of that obtained involun-
tarily through the half-and-half ar
ranEement"
Opposite Results From Same Law.
OF course. two sets OF diametrically
opposite results cannot both follow
the same enactment. It cannot exalt
and enlarge the sense of national OBJ
legation toward the capital and at the
same time reduce it to zero. 1t can
not both increase and decrease the
nations contribution toward the cap
ital: 1t cannot blow both hot and
the capital
Cne SCI u tHeSe advocates OF repeal
or the half-and- law is deceived
and will be disappointed. Which is
1t? One prophet predicts that If the
self-lmposed cOmpulsion of the act of
1878 is withdrawn the nation will
measure its financial obligation to-
ward the capital in smaller and small
er terms. until, SO far as municipal
anaIrs are concerned. it will become
| innnltesimal. The other prophet pre-
, dlcts that il the half Limitation upon
municipal capital expenditures by the
nation is removed. the nation. in
| named by patriotic pride and inspired
py the example of other nations. wflI
spend far more than one-half the cost
OF adequate capital upbuilding. Which
! is the false prophet? Which is the
victim of a psychological delusion?
/ "ReasOnable'' Taxation.
what does it matter that the pri-
| mary obligation of capital matnte-
nance is verbally decIaredito be upon
! sae nation, and tina. the burden Of
| frmed to be solely upon the nation.
with the capital community as mere
| ly the incidental contributor Of "rea-
| sonable or equitable" taxation, if
determination of what is "reasonable"
,oeai ea,, taxatlon Ak is left to a body in
resented. swayed. in part, by error
and prejudice, and under conditions
,, wnlch cause every dollar added to
local taxation to decrease correspond
! lngiy the capital appropriation from
insisted last year mat reasonable"
and Equitable" taxation in the Dis
trict would raise between fourteen
and fifteen million dollars, and that
; only between twelve and thirteen mil
mons need to be appropriated annu-
ally for District maintenance.
Inc arranRement nf indofpifo oon
trlbutions proposed as a substitute for
the half- half plan gives to the
un-frlends OF Washington every sub
stantial power to injure which they
ing to secure the power to tax the
District at their pleasure in the
amount which they or any of them
consider Just" and equitable" in
Guiding those who in the last Con-
gress nearly succeeded in getting
score of alleged equity and justice.
The proposed plan gives them pre-
cisely this power. without the self
imposed limitation of the half-and-
half arrangement and without any
check of any other kind.
For years men in Congress have
sought this unrestricted power of
taxation in the District. in order to
increase excessively the local tax
burden. The new policy of non-re-
SlStanCe invites us now to say to these
men: 1--WE fight no longer. Take the
power you have sought in order to
injure the District; hut We expect
you when YOU get it not to hurt. but
to benefit and bless the capital
Under the system of definite propor-
tionate contribution every dollar of
taxation exacted by Congress from
the District increases corresponding
ly the national contribution. Under
the proposed system of indefinite con-
tribution every dollar exacted from
the District decreases corresponding
ly the national contribution. The dis
tinction is vital in the protection of
the helpless District against excess
sive taxation and in the prevention
Of extravaganza in spending the local
tax money. No taxation is just which
is imposed from the outside by an
alien body in which the taxed are not
either directly or indirectly repre-
sented. or in which their interest is
not substantially safeguarded.
No Distrust Of Congress.
In urging that this safeguard Of the
organic act be retained we are show
ing no distrust Of Congress, unless it
be of the inoffensive kind, which
Congress has already shown in re-
spect to itself. We are asking Con-
gress to continue a self-imposed
obligation, safeguarding the help
less, the unrepresented. the politi-
cally impotent. When Congress took
away the power of self-taxation in
1873 from the local community it
v,.ovides1 a sofao7,ard a1u3naf II, 1,,n-