Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-09

the Tenleytown School building $4,000: for
one eight-room building in the third divis-
Ion, $4,000: a total of 100000 which we
were assured was needed for the proper ac-
commodation of the children Of this District
ana for their education. OF all the build
lngs asked for only one is allowed in this
p,ii. That is one eight-room building in the
third division, costing $4,000 The total
asked for these purposes is $4,000 The
amount allowed is $4,000. You have cut
the school interest in this bill $751; 900 for
the next year Mr.. Chairman, 1 content
myself with referring to these, to show the
real spirit and purpose of this appropriation
Dill. and 1 say that the interests Of this
District call for no such treatment In view
OF the excess OF revenues which will not be
touched. And IL the revenues of the gov
eminent are not sufficient Ii is easily with
In the power of this government TO make
them suffcient and make our country more
e"h'ehteo and happy at the same time"
Mr.. DeArmOnd's Amendment.
Mr.. Henderson was followed by Mr.. De
Almond OF Missouri who called attention
TO the fact that he had introduced a bill
recurring the District to pay all Of the
expenses Of its government. and he offered
that bill as an amendment to the pcudine
measure.
Mr.. De Almond said: Mr.. Chairman 10
this amendment were adop.ad tho 1n,;ra
appropriation carried by this bin wouli he
pald out or the revenues of the District Of
ooiumbia. II there are in the bill items
whlch ought to be paid wholly or partially
by the United States. naturally in the refor-
nation of the bill they would he ,trickan
out and would be Incorporated into some
IN, OH. 1 presume the theory upon
which the United States is expected 10
pay one-half of the appropriations for the
District of Columbia is that the yalue ~
the government property is equal to half
inc tne en T property valuation % the Dis
trlct This, l think. is not the fact / am
well satisfied 1t is not the fact: but n n
were, my contention is that as an element
OF sovereignty, an essential element OF the
sovereignty OF the nation, its property must
not be subject to taxation, To reonira he
government to pay half the appropriations
OF this District, upon the theory thar the
government owns half the property in The
government in form, but in effect
As to Taxing the Governments.
There Is just the same reason for taxing
the government or Of requiring the GOVERN.
ment to contribute to the expenditures of
the District of Columbia on account of its
ownership Of the building in which we are
assembled today that there is for recurring
that state shall pay to the municipalitv
wlthln which Its capital is located taxes
upon that building; the same reason nre-
ciseiy as for requiring that a county shall
pay TO the county town taxes upon the
court house in which the county business
Is transacted. The same statement applies
to nearly all the government structures
within the city-to all. so far as / know,
Wherever the government has a building
for the purpose of carrying on its opera
tons as a government, for doing the bust
ness of the people, that property upon cor
rect and fundamental principles is exempt
from taxation, direct or Indirect Now.
all the buildings of the government within
this city and the grounds upon which they
are placed are used by the government as
a government for the carrying on of its
governmental operations To say that such
property ought to be subject to taxation
the same as the property Of an individual.
is to disregard fundamental principles and
reverse all processes known 10 the people
of this country outside of rhe District Of
Columbia. In every state In this Union
the government owns valuable property.
1t has numerous custom houses, arsenals,
forts and navy yards, and IL the govern
ment should pay half the expenses of the
District OF Columbia on account OF its