Evening star., 1902-04-30

sition is clear enough. 1t has paid its full
share of the cost of maintaining the ma
tional capital, raising the money by taxa
ton method fully adequate for all purposes,
until by invasions of the organic act Con-
gress threw extraordinary burdens upon
the local treasury and replaced surplus
with a deficit. Throughout the period of
the partnership the District has raised,
under a partially enforcible law, an amount
of personal taxes favorably comparable
with the aggregate raised in that manner
by several other cities of similar size. 1t
has preferred, however, to raise its reve-
nues from the other available sources, en-
tertaining a decided antipathy toward the
personal tax method, which 1t has not over
come. The total of its resources has more
than sufficed to meet the appropriations
which Congress has in the past been will
ing to make from the federal treasury for
the capital maintenance, and 1t has felt,
reasonably, that there was no call for an
addition to the tax burden by more Sc
we're imposition of this odious assessment.
Now that an emergency has arisen, large
ly in consequence of congressional indtner-
ence to the mandate Of 1878. and that large
permanent improvements are projected and
additional revenues are required, the Dis
trict urges that it should not be mulcted In
personal taxes, but that the revenues neces-
sary to meet the expense OF the pubic
works which viii chiefly benefit posterfty
should be SO supplied as to fall upon pos
terity itself. In other words, for the pay
ment of the extraordinary costs of the
larger Washington plan. properly charge
able In any part to the District, either
bonds should be issued or a federal advance
should be made, payable in the future, as
in the case of other cities under similar
circumstances.
The District feels that its normally in
creasing real estate taxes will more than
meet the necessities arising from the or
dinary maintenance of the capital city and
that a sweeping personal tax will unneces-
sarily add to the revenues unless those
revenues are to be applied Immediately to
the great projects for the development of
the District. 1t dislikes the prospect Of
largely increased revenue, more than SUI
ficient to take care of the current expenses
and the sinking fund for the liquidation of
the debts incurred in the provision of great
permanent works. 1t knows from expert
ence that such a surplus-yielding revenue,
when not unjustly applied to the immediate
payment in full of the permanent improve
ments, leads to encroachments upon the or
ganic act. 1t does not desire to be again
forced to bear the whole cost of enterprises
of capital maintenance and extension which
should be carried equally by the District
and the government
And so the Districts proposition In this
case is to permit the ordinary increases in
the real property tax to float the growing
expenses. while providing for the permanent
betterments by some form of loan. either
by a bond issue or a federal advance. I'm
der such a plan there is necessity what
ever for the additional revenue which would
be extracted from the unwilling people by
means of a burdensome and inquisitorial
personal tax. The only possible excuse for
the imposition of such a tax is the adoption
by Congress, regardless of the Districts
protests, of the principle of making the
taxpayers of the present generation pay ex-
clusively for the works which will be chiefly
enjoyed by their successors.