Evening star., 1924-02-25
An Option as to Form of Death.

An Option as to Form of Death.
In the days of fable when the ami
mails talked with. man to point a
moral for his benefit, the master of
the farm called a conference Of the
barnyard fowls, and thus addressed
them: 'Christmas approaches, my
dear fricn is, when You are to have
the honor Of being served to my dis
tnguished guests at dinner. l have
called You together in order that YOU
may have full ana frank conference
among yourselves to determine
prefer to be roasted, fried, boiled or
sroiied. Frankly, 1 think yoa ought
10 back enthusiastically and unani.
lnousiy my proposal that You be
roasted. but such is my tender CON
Sideration for your slightest wish
that if after conference you prefer
TO be fried or broiled | will weld my
Preference for roasting i'll Difference
10 your expressed desire"
But we do not wish to be killed.
claimed the barnyard folk with one
voice.
"Iou wander from the subject" re-
Sponded the master. Your answer
is non-responsive, irrelevant and dis
respectful"
The citizens organizations Of Wash
1ngton which have declared them
selves concerning the new million
dollar gas tax have in the main voted
t. op pose and reject it unless the gas
tax h.ll Is appraxlnlated in form TO the
original agreement between the Com
misSioners and the Maryland authori-
ties. The Senate District subcommit.
tee says 10 the representatives of or
Ranized Washington in conference
assembled: I'VE are going to impose
upon you this new million dollar gas
tax. But we arc doing it sympathetic.
ally and with the Ienderest considera-
ton for your natural sensitiveness.
Several methods OF exactine this tax
and of spending the revenue from it
are suggested. We favor the creation
OF special street improvement fund
from the proceeds Of the gas tax, and
we arc inclined to expect that you
Will back this proposal enthusiastically.
However, if as intelligent men you
can really bring yourselves to prefer
some other verbal expression OF this
tax, we will probably defer to you. So
tell us exactly how you wish to be
taxed. and be quick about it,
Organized Washington, finding a
voice, responds: But We do not wish
any new miilion-dollar gas tax, how.
ever raised Or however spent. Our
share of the cost Of meeting our neg.
lected street Improvement needs, ac-
cumulated in the wartime, has al.
ready been collected from us, and
lies in the Treasury as part of our ac-
cumulated five-million tax surplus A
million dollars annually, even if used
locally, constitute far too high a price
to pay for Maryland tag reciprocity,
which our legislature, if it were as de-
voted to our welfare as the state legis.
latures are to their states, would have
long ago compelled Maryland to estab.
ush for nothing. We were told that
the settlement Of June 20, 1922, mark.
ed the limit of immediate new tax
exactions from US, and that for at least
five years we were to enjoy fiscal
peace. This new million-dollar tax,
worded and imposed with reckless
haste, violates the spirit of this com.
promise peace settlement of 1922, over
throws the financing system estab.
lished by the new organic act, and
blisters us wantonly with a new tax
when all the nation clamors for and
is securing taX.reduction. Do not
make US choose the form and wording
OF new tax, since we do not wish
to be new-taxed at ALL"
Says the Senate District subcom.
mittee. mildly but firmly: You wander
from the only question at ISSUE"
If Congress is really going to i'm
pose a new million-dollar tax upon the
District. in violation of a the implied
pledges of 1922, and of the definite
proportionate contribution system on
the 60-40 ratio established by the new
organic act. the wording of this vitaIly
important new law should be con-
sidered and framed with thoughtful
deliberation. 1t is inconceivable that
there should be reckless haste in
framing such legislation on the pre-.
text of necessity to act with frantic
speed in order to secure tag.reci.
procity with Maryland.
There is a certain attractiveness to
the suggestion that from the proposed
pai III wreckage of the new organic
act of 1922 the Commissioners may
emerge with a million dollars or more
annually to be spent entirely at their
discretion on the making, improving,
paving and lighting Of roads and
streets, a power which might enable
them to ignore or nullify the unjust
and development-hampe BorlaLd
law and which would permit them
quickly to rectify the neglects of our
legislature to meet the city's street
needs either from current appropria.
tons or. so far as the Districts share
Is concerned. from our accumulated
tax surplus. If the gas-tax bill Is TO
become law this provision, carefully
and deliberately worded, should In jus.
tice be made part Of 1t.
But in view of recent experience
who can blame the District for doubts
and fears concerning the shape in
which the proposed new law may
emerge from conference? The Dis