Evening star., 1901-01-19

The large 0WhefS OF NBSuD0lvfQeQ lana IN
the District outs3ds of Florida avenue will
doubtless readily donate to the public the
necessary streets. tust as their predecessors
did at the founding Of the city. They win
the original propffetors that the cost Of I'M
proving these streets shall fall exclusively
or largely on the nation. They will be con-
tent II. being annexed to Washington, the
donated thoroughfares are treated In the
same way as all other Washington streets,
and are developed under the act of 1878 on
the half-and-haf basis. But the owners of
lots In the belt OF misfit subdivisions inter-
venng between the original city and the un-
subdivided land and the owners of small
plots In such unsubdivided land. whose
property, p ., under Sa ,,,s the pending extension
or mutilated as to be rendered
practically value.ess. occupy differ
ent position: Why should they give to
have paid cash. with no resulting benefits,
even indirect to themselves from the
transaction? Clearly they must be compen-
sated for their land taken for public uses,
and just as clearly If the land is to be
thrown into Washington's grand plan Of
streets and made part of the capital the
financial treatment applied by law to the
old must also be applied to the new streets
of the nations city.
Unjust to Taxpayers.
The system of street opening and improve
ment proposed by the separate extension
bills. like those affecting Rhode Island ave-
nue.. 11th street and 10th street, Is unjust to
all individual local taxpayers. whether liv-
ing inside or beyond Boundary street Under
the organic act and the present system and
practice such improvements. whether in the
suburbs or in original Washington, are paid
for from the taxes Of all Washington with
out regard to the location of the taxpayer
and the nation, a large property owner on
both sides of Boundary street, contributes
its proportion toward all. 1t is now pro-
cod -t,h fiSh N,la,, Df
empting Uncle Sam from contributing out
side Boundary street The injustice to the
suburbanites is obvious. But the owner Of
property inside the city has a.so 'griev-
ance Why should he pay for the improve
ment of streets in the suburbs when Uncle
Sam, who owns oyer 5000 acres of these
suburbs, has exempted himself from such
payment? If he Is equitably bound to pay
for suburban Improvements, inasmuch
the suburban taxpayer has long contributed
toward urban improvements, does not the
same equity apply to Uncle Sam, who owns
one-half of the taxable values of Washing
ton? Is 1t not ridiculous that the only
urban taxpayer to be exempted from subur-
ban contributions is Unc.e Sam. who, with
his thousands of acres beyond Boundary
street Is by far the largest single suburban
property owner?
The taxpayers of the District are abso-
lutely unable unaided to develop the outly
ing territory on the lines of the original
capital Suburban Washington contains
81 ,925 acres as against Gill acres IN the
original city and $500 acres in Washington
and Georgetown. AT a minimum estimate
there will be much over 10000 acres of
streets to be condemned, opened. MAIN
tanned and improved, as against 1905 acres
in the original city, under whose burden the
taxpayers of the capital for three-fourthS
of a century groancd. The new city will
be five times the area of the original city
The area of the streets to be donated,
maintained and, improved will be twice as
large as the entire area of the original city,
and the imaginary street representing this
area would extend to Chicago. instead of
New York.
The proposition carried to it's logical ter
mination means bankruptcy for the local
taxpayers. The municipal expenses, even
with extremely moderate suburban improve
mcntS on a cramped street plan, and with
the nation contributing its share of the en-
tire cost. have sufficed to keep the taxes up
tn 4 high point compared with other mu-
inequalities. If the suburbs were to be de-
veloped on the original citys magnificent
lines and entirely at the loca taxpayers ex-
pense, the result of higher and higher taxes
and finally financial disaster would clearly
be Inevitable. This monstrous proposition
Is fntelligibe only on the mistaken idea
that Washington taxpayers are in some way
unduly favored. and that they can without
injustice be punished with what would 9TH
erwisc be grossly unreasonabl Bile and burden
some rxactions. sConSi ess, with full power
ON the subject in Its hands, already requires
from the local taxpayers an equitable con-
tribution to the capitals expenses. and no
will Increase largely such taxation.
The Alternative.
Either suburban Washington should be
made a part of the capital in all respects
or the section should be re;roceded to Mary
land and permitted to develop on the nat
ural lines of its own resources as a series
of Maryland villages The Greater Wash
ington must be bu- 1t up on the general plan
of the original city making a Capital with
a big c worthy of the Nation with big N,
or the federal District must be reduced to
the limits of the picayune capital worthy
of a nation e-led with a lower case n.
This capital, whether it is to be greater
or less Washington, will embody the ma
tional idea, and Will serve index of
the strength of national patriotic sentiment
and Of ational prosperity and power
No act of the forefathers furnishes more
convincing evidence of wise forethought
than the creation and general design of the
national capital. What they planned the
men or today are to carry out with the en-
largements and improvements befftting the
q eater republic of the present time and
necessary to make the modern city in every
branch of municipal development a model
capital
What is done for the capital is done for
he nation and for the promotion of ma
tional sentiment. At once the bond and
token of union the nations city and the
spirit or American nationality are inter-
| twned Sincere and enthusiastic love for
country Is what keeps alive the modern re-
public and gives il prosperity and glory
Both capital and nation have planted the
roots of Their existence in this patriotic sem
timent. The union and its peculiar resi-
dence and part property, hallowed by every
ASSOCIATION which can keep patriotism alive
res;s upon the same supports.
The national sentiment was never stron-
ger than it is today. The whole republic
thrills in response to the patriotic impulse.
| The nation and whatever pertains to it are
spelled in the largest type. l do not believe
for an instant that American sentiment
Will declare for a contracted capital, dis
creditable when compared with the broad
plans of the forefathers ard involving u,ti-
mate repudiation of national concern in
| national territory. / am convinced, on the
contrary. that the 70,000,O0U Americans of
today, instead Of approving a retrograde
anti-expansion policy of contemplate small
ness in matter of national concern would,
If polled. decide that there can be more
patriotic and ennobling labor than that
which associates ones name with the illus
tlious forefathers in developing worthily
am On an equitable basis the city of the
union, thereby fostering the national senti-
mcnt. realizing the national aspiration and
gratifying the national pride.
COrinth's Looted Treasures Found.
From the London Globe
clfro1s and diScovary