Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-12
FINANCES OF THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL PARTNERSHIP

| tHeh proposed, however. 10 eSlaDllSn d
| new precedent of exemptng Uncle Sam
| from contributing outside Boundary
| street. The injustice to the suDurbanite
| is obvious. But the owner of property
| inside the city has also a grievance. Why
| should be pay for the improvement OF
| streets in the suburbs when Uncle sam,
| who owns over 5000 acres of these sub
| urbs. has exempted himself from such
| payment? If he is eduitably bound to pay
| for suburban improvements, inasmuch as
| the suburban taxpayer has long con-
| tributed toward urban improvements, does
| not the same equity apply to Uncle Sam.
| who owns large fraction of the taxable
| values of Washington? Is it not ridicu-
lous that the only urban taxpayer to be
| exempted from suburban contribution is
| Uncle 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 alb
| solutely unable unaided to develop the
! outlying territory on the lines of the
original capital. Suburban Washington
| contains 1875 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 he con-
| demned, opened, maintained and improv-
| ed. as against 1906 acres in the original
| city, under whose burden the taxpayers
| of the capital for three-fourths of a CEN
| fury groaned. The new city will be five
| j
area of the streets to be donated. main
! tanned and improved will be twice as
| large as the entire area of the original
| city, and the imaginary street represent
| ing this area would extend to Chicago
! instead of New York
| The proposition carried to it's logical
| termination means bankruptcy for the
| local taxpayers. The municipal expenses,
even with extremely moderate suburban
! improvements on a cramped street plan
nation
| share of the entire cost, have suficed to
keep the taxes up to a high point COM
| pared with other municipalities. If the
| suburbs were to be DEVELOPED on the
| tirely at the local taxpayers expense
the result of higher and higher taxes and
| finally financial disaster would clearly be
| inevitable. This monstrous proposition is
| Ineligible only on the mistaken idea
| that Washington taxpayers are in some
| way un0uly favored and that they can
| without injustice be punished with what
| would otherwise be grossly unreasonable
with full power on the subject in it's
| hands, already requires from the local
| taxpayers an equitable contribution to
| the capitals expenses. and no steps
| should be irrevocably taken which will
| increase largely such taxation
Either suburban Washington should be
made part of the capital in all respects
| or the section should be retroceded to
MARYLAND and permitted to develop on
the natural lines of it's own resources as
series of Maryland villages The
Greater Washington must be built up on
the general plan of the original city
making Capital with 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
spelled with lower case n.
This capital, whether it is to be Greater
OF less Washington will embody the ma
nd rx-{I1
of the strength of national patriotic senti-
ment and of national prosperity and
power.
No act of the forefathers furnishes
thought than the creation and general de-
sign Of the National Capital What they
planned the men of today are to carry
out with the engagements and improve
ments behtting the greater republic of
the present time and necessary to make
the modern city in every branch of mu-
niclpal development a model capital
WAT IS done for the capital is done for
tne nation and for the promotion Of ma
nonal sentiment. At once the bond and
token of union the nations city and the
spirit Of American nationality are inter-
tWined. Sincere and enthusiastic love for
country Is what keeps alive the modern
republic and gives it prosperity and glory
Both capital and nation have planted the
roots OF their existence in this patriotic
sentiment. The Union and it's peculiar
residence and part property, hallowed by
every association which can keep marriott
ism alive. rest upon the same supports
The national sentiment was never
stronger than it is today. The whole re-
puollc thrills In response to the patriotic
impulse. The nation and whatever per-
taIns 10 1t are spelled in the largest type
DO not believe for an instant that Amer
lean sentiment will declare for a CON
tracted capital. discreditable when COM
pared with the broad plans of the fore
inv 1,-ip,
ton of national concern in national ter
rltory The tendency of the times is not
to reduce the National CAPITAL territory
TO the bounds of the original city, but to
enlarge It's area, as vigorously urged by
President Taft, by reacquiring the sec
ton OF the ten miles square retroceded
over half century ago to Virginia I
am convinced that the ninety millions Of
Americans OF today instead Of approving
a retrograde anti-expansion policy of
contemplate smallness in this matter OF
national concern. would, if polled decide
that there can be no more patriotic and
ennobling labor than that which associates
ones name with the flustrious fore
fathers in developing worthily and on an
equitable basis the city of the Union
thereby fostering the national sentiment,
realizing the national aspiration and
gratifying the national pride
Summary.
support and development of the National
Capital is upon the nation: and Congress
not the people of the federal District.
fixes the amount of the latter's tax con-
trihution toward the cost of the capitals
maintenance.
,. The burden imposed by Congress
upon the local taxpayer is fully as heavy
as that which the average self-govern-
ing American municipality imposes upon
itself and in view of the peculiar dis
abilities under which the District of CO.
lumbia labors it's tax is harder to meet
than that of the average American COM
munity.
). While the nation up to 1873 exacted
an excessive and oppressive contribution
from the local taxpayers toward the up
building of the capital, and since that
date has required all that could be eaui-
tably demanded. 1t has failed to carry
out fully its own obligations toward the
capital, having shamefully neglected
these obligations for three-fourths of a
century and not offering now to REIN
burse payments made on its account
during this season of neglect
4. The unjust and iniqutous repeal OF
the act of 1878 would be ruinOus to the
local taxpayers; and its serious violation
as by its repeal, direct or indirect in
its application to the portion of the Dis
trict outside OF original Washington.
would be proportionately disastrous.
.. The nations obligation of proper
tionate contribution toward the main
tenance and development of the federal
District is eUuita BILE in it's nature hocad