Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-14
The Districts Half.

The half-and-half proposition which
governs in the financial relations between
the District OF Columbia and the federal
government is usually stated in terms OF
| the United States contributing 30 per cent
Of the cost of supporting the District
government. 1t might logically and
equitahlv be stated the other way around
in terms of the District paying half OF
the expense Of maintaining the federal
capital Were it not for the United States
government the city OF Washington would
not exist. Had some other area ten
miles square" been chosen than that lying
on the banks of the Potomac there might
have been some development of the old
town of Georgetown but overshadowed
to large extent by Alexandria, Wash
ington might never have been called into
being by the exigencies Of commerce and
the deliberate planning of settlers. Some
other spot on the map would have been
designated as the seat of government,
either a brand-new city made to order,
as in the case of Washington, or some
already existing community selected for
this honor and this responsibility
The creation OF the capital at Wash
ington imposed from the outset certain
United States. The plans adopted for the
development of the capital added to those
obligations. The United States undertook
to create and to maintain a capital city
on a high plane of municipal efficiency
with a certain character consistent with
the capital dignity and differing material
~ from the character OF the average
city. Unfortunately Congress did not
recognize this responsibility in the early
days 1t was not until the enactment OF
the statute of 1878, more than three-quar-
tiers of a century after the removal of the
capital TO Washington, that the first step
was taken in the direction of the estab-
lishment of proper relations between the
national and the municipal governments
Limited always by general legislation
enacted by Congress, Washington had
never been able, with the best intentions
| in the world. to maintain itself in a man
ner befifting the National Capital. with a
large part of its area pre-empted for gov
eminent uses and thus immune from tax
alton and with it's industrial development
checked as result of an avowed policy to
maintain here a non-commercial city.
The act of 1873. whereby the United
States assumed half of the burden of cap
ital upkeep, was not an act OF charity to
the District, not a beneficence to the
local taxpayers, not a measure of as
sistance to a struggling municipality. 1t
was a tardy step toward proper capital
creation and maintenance, an act of JUS
tice to a community unduly burdened
with the dual task OF providing a COM
mensurate municipal organization and at
the same time keeping up a capital for
the United States.
Let it then be stated that under the
act of 1878 the District taxpayers bear
half the burden of maintaining the fed
eral capital. Why should not members
of the House and Senate SO regard the
case? Instead of holding up the people
Of Washington to scorn as mendicants
why should they not praise them for do
ing so Loyalty and so we'll the work of
capital development in their capacity as
citizens of this restricted community
specially held apart from all other Amer
lean cities as unique and as. the govern
ments own? Inasmuch as man for man
the taxpayers of Washington are paying
as much If not more than the indi-
vidual taxpayers of other cities of COM
parable size, they are certainly doing
their part, and they should be recognized
and accredited with this performance, and
not reviled as beggars.