The Washington times., 1911-06-23
BALTlMOREAN MISINFORMED
ABOUT DISTRICT.

Luther NJ. Longshaw, who gives his
address as Dol Fulton avenue, Balti-
more, has been writing some un-
kind land untrue) things about the
District of Columbia. Apparently he
has just discovered that the United
States has contract with the District,
by which it pays one-half the bills for
the improvement and upkeep of the
city in recognition of its large prop
erty interest here and the large part it
plays in the creation of municipal ex-
penses. His utteranees, published in
the form of letter in the New York
Herald, are typical of those of people
who know nothing of the reasons for
the Governments payment of half the
Districts expenses, and imagine they
have discovered a great scandal when
they learn the bare fact. For this rea-
son is it worthy of reproduction.
To the Editor of the Herald
Under a copartnership entered into by
lhC SOhbICSo lilc 1IISltICl VI SOIuIIl-
bia the Government pays dollar for dol
lar OF the local tax paid by owners of
real and personal property and pays the
interest on the outstanding bonds Of
the District.
This under the plea that the Govern
ment owns one-half of the property In
Washington. This plea is false, outside
the avenues and streets, which are post
routes and belong to the General Gov
eminent by right of eminent domain.
MI
cent of the property. Again, the Gene
raj Government pays for the courts In
Washington for matters OF purely prt-
vate litigation, and their dockets are
crowded with local cases, from murder
to divorce.
This partnership was entered into
about 1873. The yearly tax paid into
the Tax Assessors office by the Gov
eminent is about $7,500,000. Since 1878 1t
has amounted to more than $3.50, 000, 900.
In addition, the Congress makes special
appropriations to open streets and ave-
nues, for paving streets, for school
houses, engine houses, and everything
on earth the people can get out of 1t.
amounted to hundreds of millions.
Now the citizens are after an
appropriation of $500, 900 to clean up
the slums. They even want Congress to
take over a local milk depot and run it
on an appropriation.
why not protest against the Infamous
''' LUTHER NJ. LoNGsHAw.
901 North Fulton avenue, Baltimore,
Nd, June 4, 1911.
The unfortunate part of this letter
is not its inaccuracies, which are nu-
merous, but the fact that it represents
the opinion of an alarmingly large
number of Americans who seldom or
never visit the National Capital. Of
course, it simply isn't true that the
Government has paid out l5O,OO0,O0o
as its half of the Districts bills since
1878. Neither is it true that the Gov
ernment's contribution amounts to
81, 100000 a year. 1t is likewise untrue
that the District is asking an appro-
priation of $2,500,OOO to clean up its
slums. The statement that "the ap-
preparations since 1878 have amounted
to hundreds of millions" is merely ri
diculous.
All this, however, could be over
looked, for it carries no more weight
than any other misstatement, but the
fact that the letter represents the
frame of mind of considerable num-
Der of people is serious. This senti-
ment is born of ignorance of conditions
in Washington. The reason the United
States pays one-half the expense of
the improvement of the city and the
administration of its government is
that the local residents alone simply
could not make Washington what it
should be as the Capital of the Nation,
and what, incidentally, even its critics
want it to be. Every municipal ex-
pense is increased by reason of the
fact that this is the National Capital.
Those not increased directly-such as
the expenses for police and fire protec-
ton, for paving, and for care and
of streets-are increased
The local community must
have help in meeting these bills, and
Congress, during a period of thirty-one
years, has recognized the fact. The
half and half" principle of taxation
is the result of that recognition. The
plan was conceived in 1873, and has
been continued every year by every
Congress since. That it should be con-
tinued in the future is self-evideQt.