Evening star., 1921-12-16
Who Is Deceived =!

Elsewhere in The Star today is re-
printed one of Washington's argu-
ments before the joint fiscal committee
in 1915 against repeal Of the half-and-
half law and substitution for definite
proportionate contribution for capital
maintenance of one that is indefinite,
fuctuatinS and capricious.
Since the Senate bill which makes
this substitution is apt to be accepted
by the House that unnatural alliance.
pictured in 1915, has been perfected
in which 'unfriends and friends Of the
capital agree upon the same policy
with diverse and contradictory motives
and with the expectation Of securing
directly opposite results?"
"Unfrends would unsettle the existing
financial relations of nation and capital in
order to minimize the national obligation
toward the nations city and to reduce 20
lnf1nitesinnal proportions national hnan-
cial participation in it's upbuilding.
Friends would unsettle these relations in
order to magnify and idealize the ma :
tional obligation and to increase national
obligation and to increase national
financial participation in capital up
building One would unsettle existing
conditions to the injury of the District;
the other would unsettle these condi-
tionS in order to benefit the capital.
And the same enactment is thus at the
same time both to decrease and to en-
large the national obligation toward the
capital. to make less and to make more
the national maintenance. and to be at
once curse and a blessing tn the peo-
pc of the nations city.
'Of course. two sets of diametrically
opposite results cannot both follow the
same enactment. 1t cannot eXalt and
enlarge the sense of national obliga ton
toward the capital and at the same time
reduce it to zero. 1t cannot both in
crease and decrease the nation's contri-
button toward the capital. 1t cannot
blow both hot and cold II cannot both
bless and curse the capital.
'One set of these advocates of repeal
OF the Ealf-and half law is deceived and
will be disappointed. Which is it, One
prophet predicts that if the self-im-
posed compulSion of the act of 1878 is
withdrawn the nation will measure it's
financial obligation toward the capital
in smaller and smaller terms, until. so
far as municipal affairs are concerned.
1t will become infinitesimal The other
prophet predicts that if the half limi-
tation upon municipal capital expendi-
lures by the nation is removed. the ma
tion. tnf1amed by patriotic pride and in
spired by the example Of other nations,
will 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?'
The capitals friends in the Senate
have with the best of motives deprived
the District people Of their shield
against excessive and unjust taxation
by an alien taxing body, that is. a
body not chosen by them and in which
they are not even fractionally repre-
sented. A definite proportionate con-
tribution law compels this alien tax
ing body in taxing the District to tax
itself proportionately, and a safeguard
is thus provided against excessive and
extravagant taxation Of the unrepre-
sented.
The capitals Senate and House
friends wis ars destroying this safe
guard think that it is no longer need
ed. and that the capital will develop
even better without it. All of Wash
ington will hope and pray that they
may be right.