Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-01
The District and the Capital.

The District and the Capital.
If Chairman -Canron's view controls in
the House and the House dominates the
legislative situation, the prospect of an
early appreciate start on the development
of Washington under the park commits
sons plans IS dubious indeed. For Mr..
Cannon has virtually locked the project
behind a door of financial impossibility.
Mr.. Cannon's theory of the proper prece-
dure is that the government should pay
only half of the cost of the improvements
ana should pay that half only as rapidly
as the District is willing and able to pay
an equal share. The total cost of the
commissions project, according to Mr..
Lannon's statement in the House yester-
day. is estimated at s2O0.OOO,OOO 1t is
barely possible that the District being
squeezed to the core in taxation and
skimping on all legitimate municipal ex-
penses, depriving itself in part of schools
and policemen and firemen and other ne
cessities of civic life, and neglecting it's
sewerage. grade crossing and water sup
ply needs. might save million a year out
of its revenues which 1t could apply to
the capital Improvement fund. This is a
high estimate of what the community can
do. Even with that exaction it Is mathe-
matically plain that the project will cover
century in execution.
Refore going further in this consideration
III" fact should not be forgotten that the
people of the District are, despite their lack
ut suffrage, citizens of the United States
well residents of the capital. They
pay national taxes, internal revenue fees
and customs. They contribute their own
share, equally with the people of Wisconsin,
Missouri and Illinois, to the half which the
government pays for the maintenance of
the abbreviated ten miles square. So the
Nashngtonians are in fact expected to pay
more than half the total. They contribute
OF both sides of the account.
Ii would be grossly unjust to impose on
the District one-half the cost of a great
national improvement. While the people
of the District will benefit incidentally
from the extension of the park system, and
enjoy the esthetic betterments provided
Under the commissions plans for the i'm
pIovement of the public grounds the prop
erty of the United States, yet those items
Of governmental adornment are logically
by no legitimate process of reasoning to
be placed upon the half-and-half basis
Still. this proposition, unjust as it IS, Is
no. 50 serious as the revelation yesterday
Of the total misconceptiOn of the duty of
Congress as the legislature of the District.
Here is a community set apart for the
specific purpose, above all others, of af
fording seat of government. Its indus
tries are sUbordinated to the governments
needs. Its laws are framed exclusively by
the government. The government owns
half its territory and pays no taxes there
on The government owns and controls
al, of its streets and insists that those
streets shall be extensively broad. The
eNigencies of government necessarily mar
row the opportunity of the people to en-
gage in private enterprises.
Having crippled the Independent resources
"i the federal district, for which it is NOR
ally and legally accountable Congress now
Shows signs in the House of forcing 1t to
take half of a load which rightfuliy be-
longs wholly TO the nation and which has
heretofore been treated as exclusively ma
t"nal. The United States is too big and
powerful and progressive to stand for such
policy of capital making. 1t is beginning
L understand the real meaning of the Dis
tricts history. replete with sacrifices by the
citizens of Washington for the sake of the
capital. 1t has approved the park commits
SONS plans. even if Chairman Cannon has
not, and it is demanding their execution
NOT after the lapse of centuries, but with
substantial beginning today.
The Americans of this generation are not
content to lay the foundations merely of a
Washington which in the dim future shall
rise 70 a commanding height above the cap
itals of the world. Nor are they willing if
tao truth can be learned. to put upon the
-StrDo of District people half the cost of
that stupendous undertaking. Nor will they
delay the development of the public grounds
of the nations city by limiting the national
advance by the contributing capacity of the
handful of local taxpayers. There has been
a deplorable misconception somewhere of
the true relations of the House to the people
and of the people 10 the seat of government
The objection by Bulgaria to the United
States diplomatic agent who was active in
the case of Miss Stone indicates DISPOSE
ton to protect brigandage as a home in